PARABLES. HERMENEUTICS CLASS.

OUR WORD "PARABLE" IS RELATED TO THE GREEK WORD "PARABALLO" WHICH MEANS "TO THROW OR PLACE  ALONGSIDE."   THUS, A PARABLE IS SOMETHING PLACED ALONGSIDE SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPARISON. THE TYPICAL PARABLE USES A COMMON EVENT OF NATURAL LIFE TO EMPHASIZE OR
 CLARIFY AN IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL TRUTH. JESUS THE MASTER TEACHER, USED PARABLES REGULARLY AS HE TAUGHT. THE GREEK WORD FOR PARABLE OCCURS NEARLY FIFTY TIMES IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS IN CONNECTION WITH HIS MINISTRY, SUGGESTING THAT PARABLES WERE ONE O HIS FAVORITE  TEACHING DEVICES.  SCRIPTURE REVEALS TWO BASIC PURPOSES OF PARABLES. THE FIRST OF THESE IS TO REVEAL THE TRUTH TO BELIEVER (MATT. 13:-12; MARK 4:11). PARABLES CAN CAUSE A LASTING IMPRESSION OFTEN FAR MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN ORDINARY DISCOURSE. FOR EXAMPLE CHIST COULD HAVE SAID, " YOU SHOULD BE MORE PERSISTENT IN YOUR PRAYER LIFE."  A STATEMENT THAT HIS HEARERS WOULD PROBABLY SHRUGGED OFF AND QUICKLY FORGOTTEN. INSTEAD HE TOLD THEM OF A "WIDOW " WHO KEPT BEGGING AN UNJUST JUDGE TO HELP HER, UNTIL THE JUDGE FINALLY DECIDED TO ANSWER HER PETITIONS TO STOP HER COMPLAINING.  CHRIST THEN TAUGHT  THE LESSON OF THE PARABLE;  IF AN UNJUST JUDGE WHO CARES NOTHING ABOUT A WIDOW CAN BE SWAYED BY PERSISTENT BEGGING, HOW MUCH MORE WILL A LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER ANSWER THOSE WHO CONSISTENTLY  PRAY TO HIM. SIMILARLY, CHRIST COULD OF SAID, " YOU SHOULD BE HUMBLE WHEN YOU PRAY." INSTEAD HE TOLD HIS AUDIENCE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR WHO WENT UP TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY (LUKE 18:9-14). THE RIDICULOUSNESS OF THE PHARISEE'S PRIDE AND THE TAX COLLECTOR'S HUMILITY TEACH CHRIST'S LESSON IN A SIMPLE BUT UNFORGETTABLE WAY.  THEN HE TOLD THIS STORY TO SOME WHO BOASTED OF THEIR VIRTUE AND SCORNED EVERYONE ELSE: TWO MEN WENT UP TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY. ONE WAS A PROUD, SELF RIGHTEOUS PHARISEE, AND THE OTHER A CHEATING TAX COLLECTOR OVER THERE! THE PROUD PHARISEE PRAYED THIS PRAYER: " THANK GOD I AM NOT A SINNER LIKE EVERYONE EL, ESPECIALLY LIKE THAT TAX COLLECTOR OVER THERE!"  " FOR I NEVER CHEAT, I DON'T COMMIT ADULTERY, I GO WITHOUT FOOD TWICE A WEEK, AND I GIVE TO GOD A TENTH OF EVERYTHING I EARN. BUT THE CORRUPT TAX COLLECTOR STOOD AT A DISTANCE AND DARED NOT LIFT HIS EYES TO HEAVEN AS HE PRAYED, BUT BEAT UPON HIS CHEST IN SORROW, EXCLAIMING, "GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER," I TELL YOU THIS SINNER NOT THE PHARISEE, RETURNED HOME FOR GIVEN." FOR THE PROUD SHALL BE HUMBLE! BUT THE HUMBLE SHALL BE HONORED.  ONE DAY SOME MOTHERS BROUGHT THEIR BABIES TO HIM TO TOUCH AND BLESS. BUT THE DISCIPLES TOLD THEM TO GO AWAY. THEN JESUS CALLED THE CHILDREN OVER TO HIM AND SAID TO THE DISCIPLES, " LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME TO ME! NEVER SEND THEM AWAY! FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD BELONGS TO MEN WHO HAVE HEARTS AS TRUSTING AS THESE LITTLE CHILDREN'S. AND ANYONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE THEIR KIND OF FAITH WILL NEVER GET WITHIN THE KINGDOM'S GATES."
(18;16-17). ONCE A JEWISH LEADER ASKED HIM THIS QUESTION: "GOOD SIR, WHAT SHALL I DO TO GET TO HEAVEN?" IN REVEALING TRUTH "PARABLES" ARE ALSO USED EFFECTIVELY IN SCRIPTURES TO CONFRONT BELIEVERS WITH WRONGDOING IN THEIR LIVES. IF A BELIEVER POSSESSES  BASICALLY SOUND MORAL STANDARDS COGNITIVELY, AND FAILS TO LIVE UP TO THOSE STANDARDS IN SOME AREA  OF HIS LIFE,  EFFECTUAL MEANS OF POINTING OUT THIS CAN BE AN EFFECTUAL MEANS OF POINTING OUT THIS DISCREPANCY. CONSIDER THE CASE OF DAVID AND NATHAN AS TOLD IN (2 SAMUEL 12: 1-7). CONTEXT OF THIS INCIDENT IS THAT DAVID JUST HAD URIAH KILLED IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT MARRY URIAH'S WIFE BATHSHEBA  THE TEXT READS: THE LORD SENT NATHAN TO DAVID. WHEN HE CAME TO HIM , HE SAID,
"THERE WERE TWO MEN IN A CERTAIN TOWN, ONE RICH, AND THE OTHER POOR.
 THE RICH MAN HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF SHEEP AND CATTLE, BUT THE POOR MAN HAD NOTHING EXCEPT ONE LITTLE EWE LAMB HE HAD BOUGHT. HE RAISED IT, AND IT GREW UP WITH HIM AND HIS CHILDREN. IT SHARED HIS FOOD, DRANK FROM HIS CUP AND EVEN SLEPT IN HIS ARMS. IT WAS LIKE A DAUGHTER TO HIM. " NOW A TRAVELER CAME TO THE RICH MAN, BUT THE RICH MAN REFRAINED FROM TAKING ONE OF HIS OWN SHEEP OR CATTLE TO PREPARE A MEAL FOR THE TRAVELER WHO HAD COME TO HIM." INSTEAD, HE TOOK HE EWE LAMB THAT BELONG TO HE POOR MAN AND PREPARED IT FOR THE ONE WHO HAD COME TO HIM."  DAVID BURNED WITH ANGER AGAINST THE MAN AND SAID TO NATHAN, " AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES, THE MAN WHO DID THIS DESERVES TO DIE! HE MUST PAY FOR THE LAMB FOUR TIMES OVER, BECAUSE HE DID SUCH A THING "AND HAD NO PITY."
THAN NATHAN SAID TO DAVID, " YOU ARE THE MAN!" DAVID A  MAN OF GREAT MORAL PRINCIPAL EASILY IDENTIFIED WITH THE GREAT WRONG THAT HAD BEEN DONE TO THE POOR MAN IN THE STORY, AND WHEN THE PARABLE WAS APPLIED TO HIS OWN BEHAVIOR., HE QUICKLY REPENTED OF HIS WRONG. IN ADDITION TO CLARIFYING AND EMPHASIZING SPIRITUAL TRUTHS, PARABLES HAVE A SECOND  PURPOSE- ONE THAT SEEMS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO THE FIRST. A PARABLE HIDES TRUTH FROM THOSE WHO HAVE HARDEN THEIR HEARTS AGAINST IT (MATT.13:10-15; MARK 4:  11-12; LUKE 8:9-10) IT MAY SEEM DIFFICULT TO RECONCILE THIS PURPOSE WITH OUR CONCEPTION OF GOD AS A LOVING BEING WHO ANNOUNCES TRUTH RATHER THAN HIDES IT. PERHAPS THE ANSWER TO THIS APPARENT DILEMMA  CAN BE FOUND IN THE SPIRITUAL PASSAGES DISCUSSED IN CONNECTION WITH SPIRITUAL FACTORS IN CHAPTER 1). ( IT MAY BE  THAT AS MAN RESISTS TRUTH AND YIELDS TO SIN, HE BECOMES LESS AND LESS TO UNDERSTAND "SPIRITUAL TRUTH."  THUS THE SAME PARABLES THAT BROUGHT INSIGHT TO FAITHFUL BELIEVERS  WERE WITHOUT MEANING TO THOSE WHO WERE HARDENING THEIR HEARTS  AGAINST THE TRUTH.  SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED VERSES IS COMPATIBLE WITH A CAREFUL EXEGESIS OF THEM, AND REMOVES FROM GOD ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PHARISEES SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.  FOR EXAMPLE, IT MAY BE THAT AS A MAN RESIST TRUTH AND YIELDS TO SIN, HE BECOMES LESS AND LESS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND "SPIRITUAL TRUTH."
THUS THE SAME PARABLES THAT BROUGHT INSIGHT TO FAITHFUL BELIEVERS WERE WITHOUT MEANING TO THOSE WHO WERE "HARDENING THEIR HEARTS" AGAINST THE TRUTH. SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ABOVE-MENTION VERSES IN COMPATIBLE WITH A EXEGESIS (UNDERSTANDING)  OF THEM, REMOVES FROM GOD ANY RESPONSIBILITIES  FOR THE PHARISEES SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS. THE SAME TYPE OF ANALYSIS THAT IS USED IN INTERPRETING AND EXPOSITORY PASSAGES. SINCE PARABLES WERE USED TO CLARIFY. OR EMPHASIZE A TRUTH, THAT REMOVES FROM GOD ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PHARISEES SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE PARABLE OF THE LABORS IN THE VINEYARD (MATT 20 1-16) HAS BEEN GIVEN A NUMBER OF INTERPRETATIONS , MANY OF WHICH HAS LITTLE OR NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH THIS PARABLE, WAS SPOKEN. THE RICH YOUNG RULER HAD COME TO JESUS AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE MUST DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. JESUS PERCEIVED THAT THE GREATEST OBSTACLE THAT PREVENTED THIS YOUNG MAN FROM TOTAL COMMITMENT TO GOD WAS HIS RICHES,
 AND TOLD HIM TO GIVE AWAY WHAT HE POSSESSED AND BECOME A DISCIPLE. THE YOUNG MAN WENT AWAY SORROWFUL, UNWILLING TO PART WITH HIS RICHES.
PETER ASKED THE LORD, " WE HAVE LEFT EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW YOU! WHAT THEN WILL THERE BE FOR US?"  JESUS ASSURED PETER THAT THEY WILL BE AMPLY REWARDED FOR THEIR SERVICE, BUT THEN WENT ON TO TELL THE PARABLE OF THE LABORERS. IN THIS CONTEXT IT CAN BE SEEN THAT JESUS STORY WAS A GENTLE REBUKE TO PETER, A REBUKE OF THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS  ATTITUDE WHICH SAYS, " SEE HOW MUCH I HAVE DONE.  (I WAS NOT UNWILLING TO GIVE UP ALL AND FOLLOW YOU AS THIS YOUNG MAN WAS). I SHOULD CERTAINLY GET A LARGE REWARD FOR MY GREAT SACRIFICE. JESUS WAS GENTLY REBUKING PETER FOR POSSESSING THE ATTITUDE OF A HIRELING. IF YOU HAVE THIS ATTITUDE- " WHAT AM I GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS?"  WE MUST REMEMBER THAT THE MOTIVE FOR   SERVICE IN THE KINGDOM IS STATED EXPLICITLY IN THE INTRODUCTION TO THE PARABLE EITHER BY JESUS OR BY THE BIBLICAL AUTHOR. OTHER TIMES THE INTENDED MEANING IS CONVEYED THAT IS MADE OF THE PARABLE. AT OTHER TIMES, PLACEMENT OF THE PARABLES WITHIN THE CHRONOLOGY  OF JESUS LIFE
ADDS " FURTHER MEANING" THE INTENDED PURPOSE OF THE PARABLE OF THE "WICKED TENANTS" (LUKE 20: 9-18 IS FAIRLY OBVIOUS.). BUT IT CERTAINLY MUST HAVE POSSESSED GREATER POIGNANCY  AS JESUS TOLD IT SHORTLY BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION!  FOR EXAMPLE, HARVESTS, WEDDINGS, AND WINE WERE JEWISH SYMBOLS OF THE END OF THE AGE. THE FIG TREE WAS A SYMBOL OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD. LAMPS WERE  PUT UNDER BASKETS TO EXTINGUISH THEM;  THUS TO LIGHT A LAMP AND PUT IT UNDER A BUSHEL MEANT TO LIGHT IT AND  IMMEDIATELY PUT IT OUT. JEREMIAS. THERE ARE THREE MAIN THEOLOGICAL QUESTIONS AN EXPOSITOR MUST ANSWER BEFORE HE CAN INTERPRET MOST OF THE PARABLES JESUS USED. FIRST HE MUST DEFINE, ON THE BASIS OF AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, THE TERMS THE "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN"  AND "KINGDOM OF GOD" THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT
 THESE TERMS ARE SYN0NYMS. SINCE A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF JESUS TEACHING, INCLUDING HIS PARABLES, REFERS TO THESES KINGDOMS, THEIR
PROPER IDENTIFICATION IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.. (MODERN SCHOLARSHIP IS QUITE UNANIMOUS IN THE OPINION THAT THE "KINGDOM OF GOD" WAS THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF JESUS. MATTHEW, WRITING PRIMARILY TO JEWS, PREFERRED THE TERM "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" AS A RESPECTFUL TERM EQUIVALENT TO "KINGDOM OF GOD," DUE TO THE TENDENCY WITHIN JUDAISM TO AVOID THE DIRECT USE OF THE NAME GOD. MARK AND LUKE, WRITING TO GENTILES, USED THE TERM "KINGDOM OF GOD" BECAUSE IT WOULD CONVEY THE IDEA BETTER TO THEIR AUDIENCES, SEVERAL PARALLEL PASSAGES WITHIN SYNOPTICS  USE THE TERM "KINGDOM OF GOD" WHEN REFERRING TO A PARTICULAR INCIDENT AND THE TERM " KINGDOM OF HEAVEN" WHEN REFERRING TO A VERY SIMILAR INCIDENT MENTIONED IN ONE OF THE OTHER GOSPELS.  THIS LIST GIVES EXAMPLES.
REASON FOR PARABLES  (MATT 13:10-15) cf MARK 4:10-12) LUKE; 8;9-10).
MUSTARD SEED: MATT 13:31-32 cf MARK; 4: 30-32 AND LUKE; 13:18-19.),
 LEAVEN: MATT 13:33: cf. LUKE; 13:20-21
BEATITUDES MATT; 5:3; cf. LUKE 6:20.
IF THESE TWO ARE ACTUALLY SEPARATE KINGDOMS THEN JESUS WOULD HAVE BEEN ASCRIBING TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MEANINGS TO HIGHLY SIMILAR PARABLES TOLD ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT  IT HARDLY SEEMS LIKELY, PARTICULARLY IN THE FIRST SET OF COMPARISONS. THE PARALLELISM  OF MATTHEW 19-23-24 ALSO SUPPORTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT JESUS MEANT THESE TWO TERMS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS THE SAME KINGDOM. HERE HE IS RECORDED AS SAYING: I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, IT IS HARD FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER THE "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." AGAIN I TELL YOU, IT IS EASIER FOR A CAMEL TO GO THROUGH THE EYE OF A NEEDLE THAN FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER the kingdom of God. FOR THESE AND OTHER REASONS THE MAJORITY OF EVANGELICAL SCHOLARS  HAVE UNDERSTOOD THESES TERMS AS SYNONYMS. THIS IS THAT IN SOME SENSES
 IT WILL NOT ULTIMATELY  COME UNTIL THE " (ESCHATOLOGICAL" COMPLETION OF THIS AGE (END TIME). CHRIST TAUGHT AT ONE SENSE THE KINGDOM WAS ALREADY PRESENT DURING HIS SOJOURN ON EARTH.  (MATT. 12:28 AND PARALLELS; LUKE 17:20-21) THAT IT COULD BE ENTERED BY THE NEW BIRTH (JOHN 3:3) AND THAT IT WAS BEING ENTERED BY TAX COLLECTORS AND HARLOTS BECAUSE THEY WERE REPENTING AND BELIEVING (MATT 21:31). PARABLES ALSO SPEAK OF THE CONTINUING MINISTRY OF THE KINGDOM. THEY TELL OF SOWING AND REAPING, SMALL SEEDS GROWING INTO MAGNIFICENT TREES, A GREAT NET BEING LET DOWN INTO THE SEA AND NOT PULLED UP UNTIL THE END OF THE AGE, AND GRAIN AND TARES GROWING TOGETHER. THEY SPEAK OF WISE AND FOOLISH COMMITMENTS, AND OF INDUSTRIOUS VERSUS SLOTHFUL USE OF ABILITIES. IN THE THIRD SENSE, MANY PARABLES LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR ULTIMATE FULFILLMENT WHEN GOD'S KINGDOM RULE WILL BE REALIZED FULLY, NOT ONLY IN THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS , BUT IN HIS COMPLETE TRIUMPH OVER EVIL. NO LONGER WILL APPROACH MAN IN THE FORM OF A SERVANT, BUT AS THE RULER, THE ULTIMATE JUDGE, THE FINAL DIVIDER.
A THIRD THEOLOGICAL ISSUE THAT AFFECTS ONE'S INTERPRETATION  OF PARABLES RELATES TO THE postponed-kingdom theory. THIS THEORY SUGGESTS THAT JESUS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO INSTITUTE AN EARTHLY KINGDOM, AND THAT HIS EARLY TEACHINGS (e.g., MATT.1-12) WERE INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THIS KINGDOM. ACCORDING TO THE POSTPONED THEORY , IT WAS ONLY MIDWAY THROUGH HIS TEACHING MINISTRY THAT JESUS RECOGNIZED THAT HE WOULD BE REJECTED AND EVENTUALLY GO TO THE CROSS!
"PARABLES" CAN SERVE THE IMPORTANT PURPOSE OF FIXING DOCTRINE IN OUR MEMORIES IN A PARTICULARLY STRIKING FASHION.