The Master's Parables

[Bonita]

We all know them so well, the many different parables told by Jesus that have the same powerful message today as they did two thousand years ago.  What I’d like to do in this thread is to first review the reasons why parables are useful teaching tools, as explained by Jesus, and  follow with his admonitions concerning interpretation.  Lastly, I’d like to take a close-up look at each of his parables.  So far, I’ve come up with this list of parables.  I’m not sure if they are complete, so if you think I missed one, please add it.

• The Parable of the Sower
• The Kingdom of Heaven is Like . . . Parables
• The Parable of the Pounds
• The Parable of the Talents
• The Parable of the Foolish Carpenter
• The Parable of the Good Shepherd
• The Parable of the Faithful Servant
• The Parable of the Moneylender
• The Parable of the Reckoning with the Stewards
• The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
• The Parable of the Foolish Rich Man
• The Parable of the Great Supper
• The Parable of the Lost Son
• The Parable of the Shrewd Steward
• The Parable of the Two Sons
• The Parable of the Absent Landlord
• The Parable of the Marriage Feast
• The Good Samaritan
• The Parable of Job as explained by Jesus
• Parable Prayers

[Bradly]

My very favorite of all teachings since childhood.  From these, as presented in the KJV, I first discovered the Jesusonian Gospel and began to realize the difference between the gospel OF Jesus and the gospels ABOUT him.  One of the purposes I believe FOR parables was the Master’s forethought as to how best to preserve his teachings over time within an oral tradition and without his writing anything down and how such teachings might be preserved from the editor’s hand in time to come.

I would submit two more for now:  the bridge and the washing of the apostle’s feet which was not a spoken parable perhaps but is nonetheless a masterful lesson and rebuke for those imbued with self importance.  I hope the topic is blessed with peace and sincere and thoughtful contributions by all.  Thank you Bonita….I can’t wait.

[Bonita]

Bradly wrote:  One of the purposes I believe FOR parables was the Master’s forethought as to how best to preserve his teachings over time within an oral tradition and without his writing anything down and how such teachings might be preserved from the editor’s hand in time to come.

That’s an excellent observation.  I think it’s spot on.  It seems that the stories have been passed down pretty much intact.  It’s the interpretation of parables that change, but that’s an individual thing.  It’s interesting that right after Jesus’ ascension, Andrew started writing down all the Master’s sayings (139:1.9), and his notes contributed much of what we know about these parables as they appear in the Synoptic Gospels.  Thank you Andrew.

Bradly wrote:  I would submit two more for now:  the bridge and the washing of the apostle’s feet which was not a spoken parable perhaps but is nonetheless a masterful lesson and rebuke for those imbued with self importance.

What bridge are you referring to?  The living bridge?  I thought of another parable and will edit the list: The Good Samaritan.  Perhaps we can add a category for the Master’s pithy sayings and symbolic teachings, like the foot washing.

I’m currently working on a summary of the reasons why the Master chose to use the parable for teaching.  Hoping to post it tomorrow.  And I too hope that the moderators of this forum do something to prevent the incessant trolling.  We live in hope . . .

[Bonita]

There are several reasons described in the UB for the Master’s use of parables for teaching.  For the most part, he used parables for the masses and then expounded on them privately for the twelve apostles.  I attempted a summary, in the list below, of the many reasons he used parables.  Feel free to adapt or add to it.

• To correct many erroneous Urantia views of life. (140:8.17)
• To teach from life rather than the law. (149:3.1)
• To allow truth seekers to find it, while confounding those not seeking truth. (151:1.4)
• In order to appeal to multiple levels of intellectual and spiritual endowment. (151:3.1)
• To stimulate the imagination, challenge discrimination and provoke critical thinking (151:3.6)
• To promote sympathy without arousing antagonism. (151:3.6)
• To allow perception to move from the known to the unknown, using the material to introduce the supermaterial. (151:3.7)
• To favor the making of impartial moral decisions by evading prejudice. (151:3.8)
• To gracefully put new truth into the mind without arousing self-defensiveness or resentment. (151:3.8)
• To force consciousness of one’s own rejection of truth. (151:3.9)
• To conduce the forcing of thought through the sense of hearing. (151:3.9)
• To introduce new truths while avoiding controversy and clashes with tradition and established authority. (151:3.10)
• To stimulate the memory when similar scenes from life are encountered. (151:3.11)
• To appeal to the indwelling spirit within the mind. (152:6.3)
• To make it difficult to attach precise interpretations, definite meanings and crystallized teachings to spiritual truths. (179:5.4)

 

 

[Bradly]

Bonita wrote:

To stimulate the memory when similar scenes from life are encountered. (151:3.11)

 

Of them all, I find this one most interesting.  I am reminded how often Jesus said that the kingdom is at hand and is “like” or “like unto” so often.  He attempted to convey that we live within the kingdom now and that all we see around us provides examples of how things work in heaven as they do here….the vine, the seed, the flock, the fruit, the birds, the weeds, the good seed on bad soil, the harvest of grain from chaff….everything within creation leads to understanding of that creation by those who feel connected and a belonging to that creation by our direct connection to the source of all creation.  The lesson I think is that relationship of the each to the all and by that to each other.  The reaping of that sown is a profoundly important lesson in cause and effect that he illustrated in nature and the every day life of mortals.  How to grow good fruit is a universe pattern of truth and reality that Jesus found and taught by the manner in which “we walk” our daily path.

[Bonita]

Bradly wrote:I am reminded how often Jesus said that the kingdom is at hand and is “like” or “like unto” so often.  He attempted to convey that we live within the kingdom now and that all we see around us provides examples of how things work in heaven as they do here . . .

That is brilliant Bradly.  Thanks for sharing that thought.  It is very true that using nature and real life situations makes us look for truth, beauty and goodness in every aspect of our lives.  It blesses life and makes it seem more valuable, more worth living and more worth living it well – to our highest ideals.

[Mara]

Did you ever try your hand at trying to write a story on the order of a parable?  I just thought of something that’s been percolating in my brain:

The kingdom of heaven is like the fruit vender who in the joy of his abundance set out a banquet of fruit for all shoppers as a gift to them for their taking.  Pineapple,  oranges, peaches, kiwi, bananas, apples, mangoes,  papaya, guavas, breadfruit, durian, apricots and more were offered.  Some people gladly received every fruit.  Others took only the ones they liked, leaving the rest.  Some walked by, saying they didn’t eat fruit.  A few walked by thinking to themselves there was some sort of trick behind it.

 

Ha ha ha in it’s imperfection.

[Bonita]

Mara wrote:  Ha ha ha in it’s imperfection.

Kinda reminds me of the parable of the sower.

How about adding a fellow who comes by and holds up the fruit vendor, grabs all the fruit and gives it to the hungry?  I’d call him a self-righteous prig, but others would interpret that differently.

[Mara]

Bonita wrote:  How about adding a fellow who comes by and holds up the fruit vendor, grabs all the fruit and gives it to the hungry?

This addition seems oddly dark to me, but have at it! It is open for re-write!

[nelsong]

Anything  parable about second milers?

[Bonita]

Mara wrote:

This addition seems oddly dark to me, but have at it! It is open for re-write!

I agree. It is dark.  I’m sorry, I did not intend to mess with your parable.  I think it is good as it is.  What I said actually belongs on your thread about the ideological struggles of this era into the next.  I think it highlights one of those struggles confounding our current generation.

But, do you think Jesus avoided dark ideas in his parables?  I think he did use them in a few, like the one where a man lends out his vineyard then sends his servants and son to collect the rent, only to have them killed.  That’s pretty harsh stuff, at least in this day and age.  Maybe not so in the first century, I don’t know.  Either way, I’m sure that it raised some ire because of it’s obvious unfairness.

nelsong wrote:Anything  parable about second milers?

I think that’s going to be covered in the Good Samaritan Parable.  If not, we’ll definitely add it.  I think Jesus had lots of symbolic sayings that weren’t full fledged parables.  We can include them too.  It’s all good.

[Bradly]

Before we dive into specific parables, I’d like to suggest that by their study, a much better understanding of Jesus entire life’s work can be viewed with an eye to examples of living and sowing good seed in a purposeful way with forethought and timing – strategic and tactical choosing – in ways that are lessons within narrative.  I am thinking of the feeding of five thousand to demonstrate to the apostles and disciples the few who remained loyal and devoted to the gospel once the wonders, miracles, and food were no longer forthcoming.  A lesson/parable repeated several times…separation of wheat and chaff.   The washing of feet I mentioned prior is another.  It seems he employed some form of parable – spoken, acted out, or even by the questions asked another that compelled intuitive response to the truth within the encounter.  He lived in a way to show the way….a living parable of fact and truth in both reality alignment and response-ability.  How to respond to most any situation or circumstance in the mortal life on a confused and primitive world.  He is our example as he is for a universe.

[Bonita]

Bradly wrote:  It seems he employed some form of parable – spoken, acted out, or even by the questions asked another that compelled intuitive response to the truth within the encounter.

The definition of parable is: a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.  Although I cannot think of Jesus’ life as just a story, he certainly lived his life as an illustration of the highest morality and spirituality.  So yes, I agree that the symbolic acts of the Master’s life reverberate through to us this very day, and they continue to have profound length of meaning and depth of value.  So yes, we should include them, maybe at the end of all the parables?

That being said, my next thought was to review what the Master said in regards to the interpretation of his parables.  Jesus warned not to treat parables like fables or allegories.  A fable is like a parable in that it often conveys a moral message, the difference being, the fable includes myth and legend, whereas the parable does not.  An allegory may convey a moral message too, but the message is generally hidden and shrouded in symbolism which may require so-called “secret knowledge,” and imaginative speculation.  So . . . no myth, legend, hidden meanings or speculation should be part of parable interpretation.

You may recall the episode where the apostles were arguing over the meaning of the parable of the sower, each with different interpretation resulting in much confusion (151:2).  Jesus allowed it to go on until it became contentious. He eventually stepped in to remind them of the danger of making an allegory out of his parables.  Allegories require speculative imagination as to the hidden meanings of every part of the parable.  Jesus had taught the twelve that the parable should be concerned with only one central truth and that the attempt to apply spiritual truths to every single detail of the story would, not only miss the point, but create confusion and dissension. (Something we’ve seen quite recently right here on this forum.)

Since the Parable of the Sower was Jesus’ first parable, I think we should start with that one, if you all agree.  It’s on page 1688, 151:1.1. 

 

[Bonita]

One more thought.  If you’re interested in reading the Parable of the Sower in the Synoptic Gospels, it can be found:

• Matthew 13:1-9
• Mark 4:3-9
• Luke 8:5-8

 

[Bradly]

Just another note on the oral tradition and the survival of so many parables and sayings of Jesus is the fact that many, most, or all of them were quite often repeated in public and within the disciple/apostle corps.  These sayings were given to be repeated and retained, I think, as the “seed” of the Jesusonian Gospel and its fruit and tree are quite distinguishable within Christianity from that which came to be the more Roman/Greek/Judaic (or primitive) forms of religious thought and teaching.  It is by the parables that truth became recorded as given here  as he walked by as the Son of Man and the Creator Son, and that truth elevated the religion about Jesus into greater power and effect over the centuries to follow….as restated to every mind of every generation since by the Spirit of Truth.  Inspiring lessons of truth to directly assist the sincere pilgrims in their/our pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness as expressed in loving service and confidence in source and destiny.

[Author]

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