A presentation by Robert Carter
was invited to attend a bible study recently when the people were discussing a certain book of the bible analyzing its content, who wrote it, its genre, its layout and composition, the literary merit of the words and what the author was trying to say.
It sounded great intellectually, but was devoid of life and they admitted it.
One person started talking about the parables of Jesus and they generally agreed that they could not understand them.
Someone mentioned the parable of the sower and the seed and the usual assortment of comments were made about the kinds of soil, the birds of the air, the thorns and the hearts of the listeners, but no one understood it. When I was asked for a comment, I mentioned that Jesus said that the seed is the word of God as seen in verse fourteen and they were amazed. When I added that the Lord told us in verse thirteen if we can understand that parable, we can understand them all, that aroused their interest. When I told them that Jesus explained its meaning to the disciples, but not to anyone else, including the religious people who were there when He taught, they were even more amazed.
This motivated me to create this presentation and I hope it will be enlightening and encourage you to start digging deep in to the bible, perhaps deeper than before, not to gain information but to receive life-changing truth.
The parables of Jesus are not doctrinal statements as such. They hold a prime position in His teachings and He expects his parables to be understood—at least by His disciples who have been given the secret of the kingdom of God according to Mark 4:11. If we consider ourselves to be His disciples, or at least His followers, we would be wise to understand them and where applicable to apply the truths embodied in them.
Allow me to start by asking a simple question, “What is a parable? In simplistic terms, a parable is a short story employed as an object lesson that uses well known real-to-life occurrences to reveal spiritual truth. The entire bible contains parables, so Jesus was not the only person to teach and minister that way.
For example, Nathan spoke in a parable to David in 2 Samuel 12:1–4 and Ezekiel tells a parable in Ezekiel 17:2–10.
When Jesus taught, He was dealing with Jews. The ordinary people received Him but the religious and politically motivated leaders did not.
He related to the Old Testament talking about things that are common to Israel’s national identity, reshaping how people perceived God’s relationship with the nation. They understood about vineyards, laborers, kings and subjects, fathers and sons, sowing and reaping, planting and uprooting and had the various Feasts of the Lord that they could understand and follow. By looking at their examples, we can avoid making their mistakes and apply the truths that they learned.
Perhaps the reason why there is much misunderstanding is because of how scripture have been translated, depending primarily on the denominational influences over the translators. Some “parables” might not be parables in the strict definition of the word.
The ESV Study Bible lists twenty-five parables of Jesus, but the Faithlife Study Bible lists thirty-nine and the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels lists forty-six. None of these do not reveal any parables in the Gospel of John, but others affirm that, whilst the word “parable” never occurs, ten parables may still be identified there. I have provided a comprehensive list at the end of this presentation.
Jesus spoke in parable, with the aim that we should enter the Kingdom. In so doing, He often exposed idolatry. In Matthew 13, for example, His parable related to Isaiah chapter six talking about eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. See also Isaiah 42:17–20; 43:8–10; 44:9, 18–20; Psalm 115:4–8, 115:8, 135:18 135:15–18. We become what we worship and God does not want that. God wants to heal and restore his people and according to Hosea 11:1–9, this is why he sends prophets. The problem with us as it was with Israel is a general unwillingness to see and hear God. He often added “so that” to His messages. In Mark 4:11-12 we could paraphrase it to read thus:
You have been given the secret of the kingdom, but those outside get parables, so that I may complete Isaiah’s ministry of exposing their spiritual insensitivity by handing them over to their blind and deaf idols.
Jesus thus exposes the idolatry of God’s people even more fully and effectively than did the prophets of old. He also taught in parables to fulfil prophecy, or to illustrate that He was fulfilling prophecy. He quoted Psalm 78:2 for example in Matthew 13:34-35, it is recorded:
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Jesus spoke in parables not to confuse people but to illuminate and clarify the story of God’s covenant with Israel. For example, in Mark 4:21-25 He said:
He also gave them this parable: “No one lights a lamp only to place it under a basket or under the bed. It is meant to be placed on a lamp stand. For there is nothing that is hidden that won’t be disclosed, and there is no secret that won’t be brought out into the light! If you understand what I’m saying, you need to respond!”
Then he said to them, “Be diligent to understand the meaning behind everything you hear, for as you do, more understanding will be given to you. And according to the depth of your longing to understand, much more will be added to you.
For those who listen with open hearts will receive more revelation. But those who don’t listen with open hearts will lose what little they think they have!”
In this way, the parables are part of the very means through which Jesus brings God’s kingdom. The parables demand that we confess our sin, discard our idols, and pledge allegiance to the true King standing before them. Those with functioning eyes and ears will do so. This is why he expected his disciples to understand the parables. Failure to understand these stories about God’s kingdom is tantamount to a failure to participate in that Kingdom.
We now have a dilemma. How do we go about understanding the parables ourselves? How do we avoid mistakes when reading the parables of Jesus. Remembering Jesus’ two purposes for teaching in parables will help us to overcome common mistakes. We may read the parables in part and form opinions. For example, in Mark 4, we think of the soil, but do not see that only those who are “in the Kingdom” and “operating” that way are the ones who bear fruit that God desires.
We can read the parable of the Good Samaritan and conclude that we should be kind to people, but the middle section speaks far more deliberately of how Jesus wants his people to go about proclaiming his Kingdom.
We read the parable of the talents as though it has to do with our talents, but in context, it’s about how Jesus will one day evaluate those he placed in leadership over his people. If we are all functioning properly that relates to all of us.
Sometimes what seems to be the same message in a certain parables seen in multiple gospels does not necessarily mean it always means the same thing. Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the parable of the unshrunk cloth, but that doesn’t mean they are saying the same thing! Matthew and Mark focus on the damage to the old cloth, but Luke focuses on the damage to the new cloth. The parables of the talents and the minas have similarities, but may also be talking about different things.
We can read them as stories for today as they often have down-to-earth style and relativity, but we must remember that in the original setting, the audience belonged to a different era. We might not hear those words the same way a first-century Jewish audience would. The parable of the wicked tenants was not a universal story about disobedient people of all ages, but Jesus’ first hearers understood clearly that the parable was “against them” in Mark 12:12. We ought to draw applications for today, but not at the expense of bypassing the intended targets of long ago.
To read parables properly, we must hear them as first-century Jews would. When Jesus spoke parables of a vineyard, people understood He was referring to the Jewish nation. (See Isaiah 5:1–7: Psalm 80:8–18). When Jesus spoke parables of things lost and found, people thought of exile and return. See Psalm 119:176: Jeremiah 50:6. When Jesus spoke parables of sons and fathers, people heard references to God’s covenant and Messiah as seen in Exodus 4:22–23 or Psalm 2:7–9.
Proper understanding of parables may mean that we should read them in light of their Old Testament context.
When the Lord challenged me to read scriptures “correcty” several years ago, He opened up Mark chapter four to me and that changed my whole approach to bible study in general. I see things as if for the first time. It has enhanced my relationship with the Lord. I hope that you will experience similar things. The following is a breakdown of the parables.
Parables in all three Gospels
Lamp under a bowl: Matthew 5:15, Mark 4:21–22, Luke 8:16, 11:33
Wedding guests: Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:19–20, Luke 5:34–35
Unshrunk cloth: Matthew 9:16, Mark 2:21, Luke 5:36
New wine: Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37–39
Strong man bound: Matthew 12:29–30, Mark 3:27, Luke 11:21–22
Soils: Matthew 13:3–9, Mark 4:3–9, Luke 8:5–8
Mustard see: Matthew 13:31–32, Mark 4:30–32, Luke 13:18–19
Wicked tenants: Matthew 21:33–39, Mark 12:1–9, Luke 20:9–16
Budding fig tree: Matthew 24:32, Mark 13:28, Luke 21:29–30
Parable in Matthew and Mark
Food: Matthew 15:11, Mark 7:15
Parables in Matthew and Luke
Wise and foolish builders: Matthew 7:24–27, Luke 6:47–49
Children asking father: Matthew 7:9–11, Luke 11:11–13
Leaven: Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20–21
Blind leading blind: Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39
Lost sheep: Matthew 18:12–13, Luke 15:3–7
Wedding feast: Matthew 22:1–14, Luke 14:16–24
Thief in the night: Matthew 24:42–44, Luke 12:39–40
Stewards: Matthew 24:45–51, Luke 12:42–46
Parable in Mark and Luke
Watchful servants: Mark 13:34–36, Luke 12:35–38
Parables in Matthew alone
Two ways/doors: Matthew 7:13–14
Good and bad trees: Matthew 7:16–20
Wheat and weeds: Matthew 13:24–30
Treasure: Matthew 13:44
Pearl: Matthew 13:45–46
Dragnet: Matthew 13:47–48
Homeowner: Matthew 13:52
Unmerciful servant: Matthew 18:23–35
Laborers in vineyard: Matthew 20:1–16
Two sons: Matthew 21:28–32
Ten virgins: Matthew 25:1–13
Talents: Matthew 25:14–30
Sheep and goats: Matthew 25:31–46
Parable in Mark alone
Secret growth: Mark 4:26–29
Parables in Luke alone
Two debtors: Luke 7:41–42
Good Samaritan: Luke 10:30–35
Friend at midnight: Luke 11:5–8
Rich fool: Luke 12:16–21
Barren fig tree: Luke 13:6–9
Master shutting door: Luke 13:24–27
Tower builder: Luke 14:28–30
Battling king: Luke 14:31–33
Lost coin: Luke 15:8–10
Prodigal and older son: Luke 15:11–32
Dishonest manager: Luke 16:1–8
Rich man and Lazarus: Luke 16:19–31
Unworthy servants: Luke 17:7–10
Unjust judge: Luke 18:2–5
Pharisee and tax collector: Luke 18:10–14
Minas: Luke 19:12–27
Parables in John
Wind blows: John 3:8
Bridegroom’s friend: John 3:29
Reaping harvest: John 4:35–36
Son imitating father: John 5:19–20
Slave not in house: John 8:35
Sheepfold: John 10:1–5
Walking in day: John 11:9–10
Dying wheat grain: John 12:24
Walking in light: John 12:35–36
Birthing mother: John 16:21