ParablesParables

© John Stevenson, 2012

Axel OlrikAxel Olrik

• Law of Opening and Closing– Folk narrative does not begin

with sudden action or end abruptly

Axel OlrikAxel Olrik

• Law of Opening and Closing

• Law of Repetition– Events are repeated, often

three times

Axel OlrikAxel Olrik

• Law of Opening and Closing

• Law of Repetition

• Law of Three– Things come in threes

Axel OlrikAxel Olrik

• Law of Opening and Closing

• Law of Repetition

• Law of Three

• Law of Two to a Scene– Each scene has only two

speaking characters

Axel OlrikAxel Olrik

• Law of Opening and Closing

• Law of Repetition

• Law of Three

• Law of Two to a Scene

• Importance of Final Position– Youngest son will have our

sympathy; last test decisive

• Riddle ParablesRiddle Parables– To hide truthTo hide truth

• Example ParablesExample Parables– Go and do (or don’t do) likewiseGo and do (or don’t do) likewise

• Challenge ParablesChallenge Parables– Challenges us to think, discuss, Challenges us to think, discuss,

argue, or wrestle with truthargue, or wrestle with truth

Luke 9:51-53 Luke 9:51-53 When the days were approaching

for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

Luke 9:54Luke 9:54When His disciples James and

John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”

Luke 9:55-56Luke 9:55-56But He turned and rebuked them,

and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went on to another village.

Luke 9:1-6Luke 9:1-6 Luke 10:1-14Luke 10:1-1412 sent out12 sent out 70 sent out70 sent out

Names givenNames given No names givenNo names given

Sent throughout Sent throughout GalileeGalilee

Sent as forerunners of Sent as forerunners of JesusJesus

Concludes ministry of Concludes ministry of Jesus in GalileeJesus in Galilee

Introduces movement Introduces movement toward Jerusalemtoward Jerusalem

Sent only to Jews; not Sent only to Jews; not to Samaritans or to Samaritans or

GentilesGentiles

Seems to include Seems to include places where non places where non

kosher food might be kosher food might be servedserved

A Legal A Legal QuestionQuestion

• What shall I What shall I do to inherit do to inherit eternal life?eternal life?

• Who is my Who is my neighbor?neighbor?

Luke 10:25-29Luke 10:25-29

The ParableThe Parable

• The storyThe story

• A questionA question

• A resulting A resulting instructioninstruction

Luke 10:30-37Luke 10:30-37

Two SistersTwo Sisters

• The storyThe story

• A questionA question

• A resulting A resulting evaluationevaluation

Luke 10:38-42Luke 10:38-42

Story of Mary Story of Mary and Marthaand Martha

Parable of the Parable of the Good Good

SamaritanSamaritan

Love your Love your neighborneighbor

Love GodLove God

Luke 12:16-17Luke 12:16-17And He told them a parable,

saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’”

Luke 12:18-19Luke 12:18-19“Then he said, ‘This is what I will

do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’”

Luke 12:20-21Luke 12:20-21“But God said to him, ‘You fool!

This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:35-36Luke 12:35-36“Be dressed in readiness, and

keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.”

Luke 12:37-38Luke 12:37-38“Blessed are those slaves whom

the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.”

Luke 12:39-40Luke 12:39-40“But be sure of this, that if the

head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40 You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”

Luke 12:35-38Luke 12:35-38 Luke 12:39-40Luke 12:39-40

Watchful slaves Watchful slaves waiting for the coming waiting for the coming of a Master from the of a Master from the

Wedding FeastWedding Feast

The watchful Head of The watchful Head of the House waiting for the House waiting for

the coming of the Thiefthe coming of the Thief

Joyful occasionJoyful occasion Sorrowful occasionSorrowful occasion

The slaves do not The slaves do not know exactly when the know exactly when the

Master is comingMaster is coming

The Head of the House The Head of the House does not know when does not know when the Thief is comingthe Thief is coming

Luke 12:41Luke 12:41Peter said, Lord, are You

addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”

Luke 12:42-44Luke 12:42-44And the Lord said, “Who then is

the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

Luke 12:45-46Luke 12:45-46“But if that slave says in his heart,

‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.”

Luke 12:47-48Luke 12:47-48“And that slave who knew his

master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, 48 but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

Faithful StewardFaithful Steward Unfaithful StewardUnfaithful Steward

Followed Followed instructions of instructions of

the masterthe master

Knew the Knew the master’s will master’s will but did not but did not

follow itfollow it

Did not know Did not know the master’s the master’s

willwill

Put in charge of Put in charge of all the master’s all the master’s

possessionspossessions

He will receive He will receive many lashesmany lashes

He will He will receive few receive few

lasheslashes

Luke 12:49-50Luke 12:49-50“I have come to cast fire upon the

earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!”

Luke 12:49Luke 12:49 Luke 12:50Luke 12:50

I have come to cast I have come to cast fire upon the earthfire upon the earth

I have a baptism to I have a baptism to undergoundergo

……and how I wish it and how I wish it were already kindled!were already kindled!

……and how distressed I and how distressed I am until it is am until it is

accomplished!accomplished!

Fire represents the Fire represents the judgment of Godjudgment of God

Baptism represents Baptism represents Jesus’ identification Jesus’ identification

with the wrath of Godwith the wrath of God

Question: What about those who died in tragic Question: What about those who died in tragic circumstances? (1)circumstances? (1)Answer: Unless you repent you will also perish (2-5)Answer: Unless you repent you will also perish (2-5)

Parable of the fig tree: Fruitfulness required (6-9)Parable of the fig tree: Fruitfulness required (6-9)

Jesus heals woman on Sabbath (10-13)Jesus heals woman on Sabbath (10-13)

Jesus rebukes Synagogue Official for Sabbath Jesus rebukes Synagogue Official for Sabbath legalism (14-17)legalism (14-17)

Two Parables of the Kingdom: Seed into a tree; Two Parables of the Kingdom: Seed into a tree; leaven into bread (18-21)leaven into bread (18-21)

Question: Are just a few saved? (23)Question: Are just a few saved? (23)Answer: Strive to be one of those who are.Answer: Strive to be one of those who are.

Luke 14:1-4Luke 14:1-4It happened that when He went

into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. 2 And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. 3 And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away.

Luke 14:5-6Luke 14:5-6And He said to them, “Which one

of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” 6 And they could make no reply to this.

Luke 14:7Luke 14:7And He began speaking a parable

to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them,

Luke 14:8-9Luke 14:8-9 “When you are invited by

someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.”

Luke 14:10-11Luke 14:10-11“But when you are invited, go and

recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 14:12Luke 14:12And He also went on to say to the

one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.”

Luke 14:13-14Luke 14:13-14“But when you give a reception,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14:15Luke 14:15When one of those who were

reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Luke 14:16-17Luke 14:16-17But He said to him, “A man was

giving a big dinner, and he invited many; 17 and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’”

Luke 14:18-20Luke 14:18-20“But they all alike began to make

excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ 19 Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ 20 Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’”

Luke 14:21Luke 14:21“And the slave came back and

reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’”

Luke 14:22-24Luke 14:22-24“And the slave said, ‘Master, what

you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’”