Luke and Parables

Parable

The term has been used to refer to a variety of Jesus’ sayings, stories, riddles, and so on.

Parable comes from a Greek word

meaning “comparison”

A parable usually builds from a literary device called a simile. – In a simile, two different

things are compared to one another in order to illustrate a point.

– The word “like” often- though not always- joins the two parts of the comparison. • E.g. Jesus would say,

“The Kingdom of heaven is like…” and then compare it to a sower in a field, a mustard seed, or the yeast in bread.”

A closer look at the ParablesThe use of parables

is one of the most significant characteristics of Jesus’ teaching style. – He had a way of

connecting his point to the everyday experiences of his listeners, so that teaching would be clear to them and easily remembered.

The basic story elements in Jesus’ parables grew out of the land, culture, and family life of his people– Farming and shepherding, children playing

and adults working at their trades and crafts.

When we read the parables today, it is often helpful to find parallels between our experiences and those of the people Jesus was directly addressing.– That is, we can

translate the parables into familiar language.

Developing a parable

In developing a parable, Jesus would take a common occurrence of the day and add a surprising twist to it, such as a surprise ending.

These surprises would keep his listeners alert, or catch them off-guard.

The idea was to make people reflect on the lessons he was trying to teach.

Two examples:1. The Parable of the lost sheep. Lk. 15:4-12. The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Lk. 15:11-32– With both of these parables, Jesus was teaching his followers about

God’s boundless and forgiving love for those who have gone astray.– God’s love is so profound that it literally seems to defy common

sense.

Themes of the Parables

1. Descriptions of the King

2. “Kingdom” Responses

3. Relationships with our neighbors

4. The fulfillment of the Kingdom

We will talk about two

Themes of the Parables

E.g. the lost sheep, the parables of the lost coin and the prodigal son, and the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.

1. Descriptions of the King The King of the Kingdom These parables deal primarily

with God’s nature, qualities, attitudes in dealing with people, and so on.

These parables reflect that wonderful image of the Father presented by Jesus

The image of a God whom people can call Abba.

Themes of the Parables3. Relationships with our

neighbors The parables address

people’s relationships with one another and the world at large.

E.g. The parable of the unforgiving servant.

The lesson is that we must truly forgive one another from our heart if we expect to be forgiven.

The parable of the good Samaritan. Lk. 10:25-37

If people want to be part of the Kingdom of God, they must open their heart to everyone, even the outcasts of society.

How to read parables

1. Look for the central messages of the parables. Try not to read too much into them The messages of Jesus are often far more direct and

to the point than we might expect or recognize.

How to read parables

2. Look for the questions posed in the parables. Jesus sometimes asks his listeners to offer their own

response to a parable, before he gives his intended message.

Whenever such questions are posed directly or indirectly in the parables, we should pause and attempt to answer them ourselves.

3. Compare our answers with those recorded in the Gospels.

It is possible that Jesus might not have actually answered some of his own questions or interpreted the parables for the people.

Instead, he might have encouraged them to figure out as many insights as they could on their own.

As we read the gospels, we should compare the answers we would give with those given by the early church. Doing so can help to make the gospels come alive for us today.

How to read parables

ACTIVITY- write a parable about what God is like, using something in your life and world that is familiar to you.– E.g. “God is like your

school locker- the place you return to for everything you need to get through your day.”

– Include a picture, symbol, song etc.