Luke 16

What is a parable?

C.H. Dodd defines a parable as “a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its application to tease it into active thought”

ParableA made up story used to teach a real lesson

Why did Jesus use Parables?

Mark 13:10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

simply put, the spiritually alive man can interpret them

to the spiritually dead they are just stories.

Here are some practical reason Jesus probably chose them:

1. Parables were a common form of teaching (Nathan the prophet in the OT, many other prophets)

2. Parables Use concepts people are very familiar with to explain something they are not very familiar with.

3. Parables are memorable /discussable “What would I do in that situation?” “Why would a person say that?”

4. Parables show that spiritual truth is the same as “everyday” truth

5. A lot of parables are on the theme of the Kingdom of God.

If you apply the parables to Jesus and His kingdom they make sense. If you apply the parables to man’s idea of the kingdom they do not make sense.

The Kingdom of God / The kingdom of Heaven

ultimately his perfect eternal kingdom, BUT also wherever people are submitted to him

The opposition:

the kingdom of this world

the kingdom of darkness

the little kingdoms of this world (countries, communities, and our lives)

6. Parables are a “Safe” way to force people to look at uncomfortable and dangerous ideas 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

1. Have someone in your group read this parable aloud, try to put yourself in the place place of the original hearers listening to jesus.

2. What do you think Jesus intended meaning was? Who do the characters or objects in the story represent?

3. Given that meaning for the original audience, with what you know about the rest of the Bible, what can we learn from that parable today?

4. How might someone MISinterpret this parable?

Interpreting parables

They can’t mean what Jesus didn’t mean. We don’t want to take interpretation too far and assign meaning to aspects that do not carry specific meaning or add layers where there is not layers

Don’t moralize the stories. The behavior of the characters in the stories are not always to be modelled. Like in the parable of the prodigal son it is not like good son and bad son. It’s two different kinds of bad son. Also Jesus is not necessarily teaching about how to be a good earthly father or son in that parable

Context is key. Does Jesus explain the parable? Does he give the parable in response to a question or situation? Does the author of the gospel place the parable with other parables or between stories about Jesus? Who is Jesus talking to? Where is Jesus peaching? What reaction do the hearers have?

The meaning of the parable be supported by the rest of scripture not at odds with it