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Jesus’ Use of Parables: Powerful Lessons from the Great Teacher

The Parables of Jesus, parables

In Mark 4:2, Jesus taught the multitude many things using parables. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record many parables spoken by Jesus. The gospel of John, though different in design from the synoptic gospels, also records some of Jesus’ parabolic teachings. There are likely more parables in the four gospels than you realize. I’m sure there are certainly parables that come to mind immediately. However, as we explore this series, you may be surprised to see how often Jesus spoke to the people in parables. I was!

The Great Physician: Calling Sinners to Repentance | Jesus’ Parables

Physician
via Chil Vera | Pixabay

Immediately after Jesus called Levi to follow Him, this new disciple hosted a feast at his home. Matthew 9:10 tells us that many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down at his table. Even at this early stage in Jesus’ ministry, the Pharisees and scribes were keeping tabs on what Jesus was doing. Mark 2:16 reveals that they saw Him eating with this motley crew at Matthew’s house. They asked His disciples why He ate with such people.

To the Pharisees, these people were untouchables. Bigotry was a huge problem with the religious leaders – why should they, the elite class, associate with such lowly individuals? In Luke 7:39, a Pharisee named Simon concluded that Jesus was not a prophet, since he willingly allowed a sinful woman to touch Him. Such an accusation was not laid against Him in our text, but was no doubt the thought on their minds.

Building Your Life on the Rock | Jesus’ Parables

rock
via Chil Vera | Pixabay

For as long as I can remember, truck ads for GM have use Bob Segar’s song, “Like A Rock.” Of course, the idea General Motors wants to convey is that their trucks are strong and reliable. I’ve never owned one, so I don’t know if the image is appropriate or not. What I do know is that Jesus used the stability of a rock two millennium beforehand to speak of the faithful child of God.

As the discourse commonly called the sermon on the mount drew to a close, the Lord made a contrast be-tween those who do His will and those who merely hear it. He could simply have said the first is wise and the latter is foolish (which He did do), but to help illustrate and to make the teaching memorable, He employed a parable about two builders. His teaching is not complex; in fact, Matthew 7:24-27 has been fashioned into a simple children’s song. My first introduction to this text, as yours may also have been, was that song.

Matthew 7: How to Identify False Prophets | Jesus’ Parables

false
via Chil Vera | Pixabay

Immediately after saying that the way to heaven is narrow, Jesus spoke of some who will hinder those who seek to walk the heavenly way. He identifies them as false prophets (Matthew 7:15), and uses two images to speak about them; the first speaks of their methods (Matthew 7:15), the second speaks of their manner of life (Matthew 7:16-20).

Matthew 5: How to Be a “Salt Lamp” | Jesus’ Parables

salt
via Chil Vera | Pixabay

In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus used two simple images to speak about His people, the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

The Salt of the Earth: Bringing Flavor to the World

The Lord declared,

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (Matthew 5:13)

Jesus’ Use of Parables: To Reveal and Conceal Truth

Parables
via Chil Vera | Pixabay

In Mark 4:2, we are told that Jesus taught the multitude many things by  parables.  Matthew, Mark and Luke record many parables spoken by Jesus. The gospel of John, though different in design from the synoptic gospels, also records some of Jesus’ parabolic teaching. There are likely more parables in the four gospels than you realize. When we think of the parables, some that we are well acquainted with no doubt come to mind, but as we go through this series, I think you may be surprised to see how often Jesus spoke to the people in parables. I was!

I’m hesitant to put in print how many parables we can find spoken by the Lord in the gospels. Perhaps it will be sufficient to say there are many. Some believe the word “parable” needs to be in the text to confirm that a teaching is in fact a parable.  Though it is true the writers will often state that the Lord spoke a parable, they don’t always do so. To require all parables to be specifically identified as such shows ignorance in the one making the requirement of what a parable is, and disqualifies several statements made by the Lord which are parabolic in nature.

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