Parables of Jesus

Put yourself there

It is said that over 1/3 of the teaching of Jesus was in parables. - parables are important.

Matthew 13:34 “34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.”

Start this journey: Put yourself there. You will need to open your mind, your imagination to put yourself in first century, listening in.

They were personal for those people at that time, but they hold timeless teachings for us today. To understand, to grasp it, it is best you put yourself there.

Transition: Today will be all about helping to paint a picture so when we get into the parables. Our series will last at least 26 weeks. Knowing me, maybe longer. We will ask the Holy Spirit to just lead us through this.

Jesus the teacher

John 3:2 “2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.””

We know Jesus was a teacher, an instructor, a model, a counselor and a mentor

Understanding who we are listening to, the qualities and qualifications matter.

Jesus had superior knowledge (jn14:5-11) He knew the Father and declared the Father to the world.

Jesus had superior message message of the kingdom of God, of how to enter the kingdom, about kingdom citizens.

Jesus had superior teaching methods

Lecture method (Mt5-7) Sermon on the mount

Q & A Method (Mt22:41-45)

Situational method (Jn4:2-26)

Posing rhetorical questions (Mt22:18-21)

Finally, using parables.

(Transition) Jesus did not speak at people, he spoke with people. He used life situations to paint the picture, the parable for application. The message was clear and easy to understand, it was not hidden except from those who were not willing to learn.

Message of Jesus

He spoke with authority

Matthew 7:29 “29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

He spoke with authority about kingdom issues

Mark 1:15 “15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

Q: I only used one “issue” can you think of other kingdom issues that Jesus spoke of?

Jesus authority to give life

John 10:10 “10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Full, abundant life. Through His teachings, many of them parables. Taking life situations and using them to teach for spiritual life application.

Factors of authoritative message

Sin: Problem, solution

Submission: necessity to be acceptable to God

Servanthood: To serve him is to love Him and to serve others

Salvation: The need for it, the way to obtain it. Taking something that was dead and make it alive.

John 5:24 “24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Consider

Ephesians 2:1 “1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,”

and then

Ephesians 2:4 “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”

Ephesians 2:5 “5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”

Ephesians 2:8 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

From a life of selfishness to selflessness.

Another thought to consider: Many have lost the focus, the message of Jesus. Jesus has lost priority in the person and in the church. We need to aim to put Him back on the throne of our lives and in the church.

Morris Womack, author of learning to live the parables says:

“Life is a constant learning experience. We often think that life would be great if it were not for the problems we face. But it is through those problems that life becomes meaningful. Living is always “becoming” but never completely arriving. Our lives are continually changing, and we must learn to adapt to those changes (pg. 17).

As we journey may we remember that this is God’s word and it is alive

Hebrews 4:12 “12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions https://sermons.logos.com/sermons/1182677-a-closer-walk-by-overcoming-sinarof the heart.”

Living word, living messages, that have application for us today, just as there was application for the hearer’s then.

Womack: I am using his book as secondary study tool for this series so he will be quoted often. In his book he give two aims:

To see the parables in original context

Then, and only after then, how they must be, can be, applied to our current living.

Parables

Defined

It is not a fable often defined as: a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral point.

It differs from analogy: where every item has a counterpart. Anology: a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

O.T. word “marshal” meaning a similitude or comparison. Think of 2Sam12:1-14 with Nathan and David.

N.T. word is “parabole” which means to throw alongside of.

Common understanding is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The purpose is to demonstrate a realistic story where the hearer can be in it.

Why Study the parables?

They are illustrations for life in action.

For understanding know that they are not all literal

They are not a good place for basing or proving your doctrinal beliefs

They deal with the substances of Jesus teaching. Again, they are illustrations for life in action.

They are for revelation not moralization. They give us illustrations of who God is, how God works in our lives (in general)

Characteristics of the parables

They tell us much about the master teacher, storyteller

They deal with real life situations and circumstances

They are presented with a purpose, a response, to get a response from the listener. They are to bring to life an application, a spiritual truth.

Womack says: “They parables are simple enough for the simple people and sublime enough for the most intellectual.

Understanding/interpreting parables

Historical method (Antiochian) - To study contextually

Allegorical method (Alexandria) which is to look at the parable as an allegory: a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

We will start with the former and bring in the later in this series. Again, we need to know the historical to understand so we can learn the allegorical from it.

I came across an excerpt from a book entitled “who rules your life” by Prentice Meander who says this about the parables

They are essentially oral

They have a single message

They can be grouped by certain themes

They intersect with real life situations

They are swords that sometimes penetrate the lifestyles of the people

They are brief, they are permanent, and they draw images from daily experience.

One more thing, Jesus did not bring the first parable into the scripture. Remember 2Tim12:1-14 (Nathan, David)

Some principles to help understand the parables continued

Don’t look too deep, for dark, hidden meanings in the parables. They were written for the simple, common folk. Not for the philosophers or theologians to argue about (Charles Speer; SIBI instructor).

Learn from the setting of the parable, why is it there? What is being said around it.

Learn from the social contexts of the parables (weddings, farming, hospitality).

Look for the central theme of the parable. They have a specific purpose

When interpreting (gaining understanding) of the parables, do is a life-learning situations rather than doctrinal-learning situations.

Potential problems

Unwillingness: to look for the real meaning intended by Jesus. We can get so ingrained in our presumptions that we miss the true teaching.

Come with a heart to learn not to reinforce

Not taking the cultural setting into account: It is vital that we see as they did at the time that the parable was spoken. We are living 2000 years later in a different part of the world. We need to put ourselves there and then. Be sure to look at the cultural setting

Not looking at context. The parables are there for a reason, there is some life lesson Jesus wanted to give at that time. We need to look at things contextually to understand why.

Modern society can be a huge hinder to us today. We live in a media rich society that influences greatly. Media wants to paint the picture for you, where it keeps you from seeing from the scripture itself.

Grouping the parables

For this study we will group the parables as Womack in his book does. It is clear and easy to understand the grouping.

Kingdom parables

Discipleship parables

Growth parables

Warning and reward parables

(Summary) SO, there it is, the introduction of parables to Jesus. It is going to be a great journey and I hope you will enjoy it is much as I think I will. If you would like a list of the weeks (or intended weeks) let me know and I can bring in a copy.

Next week we will look at Parable of sower (Mt13:1-23; Mk4:1-25; Lk8:5-18)

(Prayer) (Close)