As I move onto the next question it should be known that a parable does not necessarily have to be from the Bible because there are many parables which are not regarded as stories for religious purposes. It should also be known that a parable is not an allegory and should never be confused with it but I will expand on this in much greater detail as I go through the questions.
ii) Describe, from Luke’s Gospel, how Jesus presented his teachings through parables.
The parables are like time capsules! They are explosive and are rich in meaning. Jesus was the master story teller. His parables are magnificent constructions of wisdom and truth wrapped in the culture of time. We are obviously not familiar with the culture at that time and so we must keep in mind the bare essentials of parables. By this I mean that we must keep in mind always that Parables have one meaning and teach only one truth. This is exactly where they differ from allegories.
In allegories every detail has its own meaning and each character represents someone or something. Although this may be true there are some parables which are not only normal parables but allegories at the same time. A very common parable which comes under this category is the Parable of the Sower. Each element of the story has an individual meaning. E.g. the seeds represent the word of God, the Sower plays the part of God and the crops are the people on Earth but this is a feature of allegories. The factor of it which makes it a parable is that it has one meaning.
All parables are relative to the Kingdom of God or Paradise. Jesus used parables to teach the people about this and the concept of Heaven on Earth. Many people did this but the difference with Jesus was that he used every day aspects of life for the people he preached to so it was easier for them to understand and take in. Using a familiar action to help people empathize was Jesus’ strategy. This method Jesus used can be seen in the Parable of The Good Samaritan. This is because all the people listening to Jesus’ teaching at that time were Jews and they despised of people from Samaria. This difference emphasised that to “Love thy neighbour” meant taking care of people you hated and your enemies. The parable of the old and new wine skin was also a familiar part of life for people of the time and so helped greatly to explain what Jesus was talking about and so did not need any extra support to comprehend.
One special thing the parables told by Jesus did was that it obliged the people who were listening to contemplate on their actions and question their life on whether they are good people or people who have been living a life of sin. This is also true because they had to seek the meaning for themselves. Finally Jesus had a unique way of answering questions. He used parables. When a teacher of the Law asked him things which questioned his superiority and power as a Forgiver of Sins he would use Parables to explain his presence on Earth.
b. Discuss the meaning and relevance of parables to the belief and life of Christians today.
I believe that as long as there is Christianity, parables will be extremely relevant. They play an integral part of Christianity and are there to teach people forever. I emphasise the word forever because moral conduct is a key factor of parables and is what they teach so therefore will always be needed as moral conduct will never become redundant.
I am going to mention some parables which prove this and how they can actually influence us. First of all, the Parable of the Sower, which is one of the most popular Parables, teaches us to resist temptation but it goes much deeper than that. We all know that Christianity has blossomed all over the world in different forms but it has not been easy. Even though Christianity is now the largest religion in the world it has struggled to get where it is now in modern day society. This teaches Christians to keep their faith in Jesus when times are hard and not just to give up the first time you have a problem. If Christians did not believe in this there probably would be no Christianity now.
Secondly, the parable of The Great Banquet on face value teaches us to be generous to the people who are less fortunate than you are. Also the belief in equal rights comes through here and the fact that prejudice is a sin. Finally, no one should be discriminated against because everyone is welcome into God’s Kingdom.
The parable of the Lost Sheep is about God’s mercy and forgiveness on people. The lesson here is that no matter what you have done if u repent and truly ask for forgiveness from God then no sin is unforgivable. This is obviously the one meaning in this parable and is definitely relevant now because no one can be sin free. It is physically impossible. The act of asking for forgiveness is so powerful that you can be one with God after you have committed even the gravest sin.
I think the most well known parable is the Good Samaritan. I have never come across a person of my age or above who doesn’t at least know the basics of it. Christians learn from this parable that racism and prejudice is wrong and that it should not happen in Christianity. Every one is the same in God’s eyes and no one is superior to God so we should not think we are even more special than any other person. The fact that everyone is accepted in The Kingdom of God showed, as Jesus taught in the Good Samaritan.
Now I have given a few examples of the relevance of parables today, I think it is enough to say that parables are still needed to teach and guide us all. I think this is obvious anyway because Christians still recite the Gospel and read the parables. The last point of this question is that the morals parables teach affect a person’s whole life and they give a lesson to all people whether they are Christian or not.
c. “These parables are still relevant today.”
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view.
I think parables are definitely still needed for Christians. This was an integral part of Jesus’ teachings and helps to study his life. This is obviously important because Jesus is the central part of Christianity, and who Christianity revolves around. Also the morals it teaches are relevant to everyone, not jus Christians. Topics such as racism and acceptance of other people are something we expect in every day society. I feel this way because I am Muslim but I expect to be treated fairly by all people in this modem multi-cultural community no matter what colour their skin may be.
A modern example that comes to mind when talking about this subject is the murder of Steven Lawrence. When talking about equal rights we see that it is not really enforced. If the people who killed Steven Lawrence understood the wrong in racism they might not have committed this tragic murder. This is why we need parables in this day and age. The world is not perfect and so right and wrong must be taught in some form. Another example that is similar is the horrific killing of that young boy, Damilola Taylor. He was a young, keen and enthusiastic boy who came from Africa to hopefully make something of himself one day but his dream was cut short due to ignorance.
Some people think that parables are not relevant due to them being only for Christians. Even though what parables teach are morals and rules for every day life the fact of the matter is, it is from the Gospels and so makes it a more personal lesson for Christians. Some people think that because Parables came from the time of Jesus and so were not useful for people of our time. This in effect brings us along to the next argument that the simplicity of these stories makes it unreal. There are those who say that for example that in the Good Samaritan the priest and Pharisee had good reasons for walking. Here I conclude that these are still not good enough reasons to say that parables are not useful anymore.
