‘I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old…’
Psalm 78:2
The Parables
If you were to ask people which stories they knew from the Bible then a good number of the parables would be included in those they can recall. This is probably due to the fact that parables often come in the form of a simple tale with easy to recall characters and imagery. From farmers sowing and harvesting fields to builders laying foundations, these stories are easy to remember.
Despite their simple form, the parables often hide much deeper meaning which can go unseen or unheard by many readers. Familiarity with the story and the usual interpretations means we sometimes lose sight of what is being revealed. Our distance from the context of the stories also hinders us from understanding all that is contained within the story.
In the series of posts that follows this one I will be looking at some of the most well known parables and one or two of those that are lesser known or avoided. The posts will explore the deeper meanings often contained within the text and the context of the parable. This should help in understanding some of the significance points that are there in plain sight but we miss due to our distance from the world of Jesus and his disciples.
Why parables?
Before I come to a working definition of what a parable is, it’s probably best to ask why Jesus used them? It can seem that the use of these stories purposefully hides the truth and keeps it veiled from the hearer. Some may ask why Jesus would want to conceal the message he came to share from the very people he came to save.
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The answer to why Jesus and many others throughout the ages have used parables to share a message is because of what they do to the hearer. The best example of this maybe that of the good samaritan.
If we look at how this parable arises we can see that it is in response to a question from a teacher of the law about who his neighbour was. Jesus could have just given the man a straight answer and the lawyer may or may not engaged further in conversation. By using a parable Jesus draws the lawyer in to a story and when at the end he asks him ‘which one was a neighbour to the man?’ He can’t ignore the truth of the story. He answers ‘the one who shows mercy’, the samaritan, a man Jews had little respect or empathy for.
Stories get under our skin, we get sucked in by the characters or the expected ending but often they surprise us with unseen outcomes that teach us something new. They also inspire us to know more, to discover the truth that lies underneath the seemingly ordinary story.
What is a parable?
So having looked at why Jesus used parables we can now look at a definition to help us understand what a parable is. The Greek which the English word parable comes from is parabole. This word is made up of two smaller Greek words. The first para, means close beside, alongside or in the presence of and the second is, ballo, meaning to cast, throw, put or place. This gives us a working definition of the word parable as a story or word picture that is cast beside Jesus’ wider teaching to help reveal it’s truth.
Hopefully as we explore the parables over the next few weeks we will see the truth cast beside his ministry and understand more of what he is sharing with those first listeners and with us today.