Parables. The main theme of the parables and of the gospel is the kingdom of God. When Jesus began to travel, he spoke about the kingdom of God.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Introduction

My name is Carlene and this coursework is based on parables. Parables are important in the teaching of Jesus, as these are the stories that Jesus used to teach his followers-disciples/apostles in order to teach them lessons about life. Parables are important for the study of Christianity, as they were a central feature of Jesus’ teaching. Parables are stories told to convey a spiritual point.

Ai) what is meant by the term parable?

A parable is a simple story with a clear teaching. The meaning is left for the listeners to work out for themselves. A parable relates to real life and everyday events to illustrate truths about God. Parables can be short e.g. the parable of the yeast Lk13: 20-21 and some are long e.g. the lost son Lk15: 11-32. A parable can be described as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”. The word parable comes from the Greek word parabole and it means a comparison or an analogy-some of Jesus’ parables are comparisons, they compare what is known and familiar on earth with the kingdom of God which is spiritual and less familiar. Parable can also mean, “throwing beside” or “placing beside”. Biblical parables were originally examples of a Hebrew genre called meshalim. Well-known examples of parables include The Good Samaritan and The Lost (or prodigal) Son. The word allegory derives from the Greek word

Allegoria meaning “speaking otherwise” the term, describes any writing in a prose or verse that has a double meaning. An allegory involves the interaction of multiple symbols that together create a moral, spiritual or even a political meaning.

Like the rabbis of his time, Jesus used simple word pictures; called parables to help people understand who God is and what his kingdom or reign is like. Jesus used images and characters taken from everyday life to create a miniature play or drama to illustrate his message. This was Jesus most common way of teaching. His stories appealed to the young the old, the poor, the rich, the learned and the unlearned. Over a third of the Gospels by Matthew, Mark and Luke contain parables told by Jesus.

A parable is a word-picture that uses an image or story to illustrate truth or lesson. It creates a mini-drama in picture language that describes the reality being illustrated. It shows a likeness between the image of an illustration and the object being portrayed. It can be a figure of speech or comparison such as “the kingdom of God is like…a mustard seed… or like yeast. (Luke: 13:19-21). More commonly, it is a short story told to bring out a lesson or moral. Jesus used simple stories or images to convey important truths about God and his kingdom. They commonly feature examples or illustrations from daily life in ancient Palestine, such as mustard seeds, fig trees, wineskins, oil lamps, money, treasure, stewards, workers, judges, homemakers, wedding parties and children’s games.

Jesus’ parables have a double meaning: first, there is a literal meaning, apparent to anyone who has experience with the subject matter. However, beyond the literal meaning lies a deeper meaning, a beneath-the-surface lesson about God’s truth and his kingdom.

A parable usually has one meaning whereas an allegory has many. A parable is life-like; it involves real pictures of everyday life. An allegory doesn’t have to be true to life. According to the Collins shorter dictionary and thesaurus, an allegory is "a story with a meaning other than a literal one”, or “a description of one thing under the image of another”. In addition the Collins shorter dictionary and thesaurus, says that a parable is “a story with a moral meaning”.

An allegory can be described as an: apologue, moral fable, emblem, fable, myth, parable, story, symbolism, and tale. A parable can be described as an: allegory, fable, lesson, moral tale, and story.

An allegory is a story where the message is hidden in a type of code, where the characters and/or events really represent other characters and events, a story where every detail has a meaning.

An allegory may depart into a make believe world-the story has to be decoded to understand the meaning.

Jesus taught in parables for the simple fact that parables were short and sharp. People like to listen to stories and when preaching in the open-air it would have been hard to keep the listeners attention. Parables were interesting, easy to listen to and easy to understand.

Parables were memorable as they were short stories with one message. If they were memorable Jesus realised they would have more of an affect on the listeners. Parables cause the listener to think for themselves and if they worked out the meaning for themselves-they would be more likely to remember it.

Aii) describe from Luke’s gospel how Jesus presented his teaching through parables

The main theme of the parables and of the gospel is the kingdom of God. When Jesus began to travel, he spoke about the kingdom of God. Jesus never defined exactly what he meant by the kingdom of God his words and the way he spoke about it implied that it was not a geographical area/place but God’s new society, people who lived according to God’s law. The parables teach various things about God and about his kingdom, where and when it is, how one can ...

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Aii) describe from Luke’s gospel how Jesus presented his teaching through parables

The main theme of the parables and of the gospel is the kingdom of God. When Jesus began to travel, he spoke about the kingdom of God. Jesus never defined exactly what he meant by the kingdom of God his words and the way he spoke about it implied that it was not a geographical area/place but God’s new society, people who lived according to God’s law. The parables teach various things about God and about his kingdom, where and when it is, how one can enter it, how important it is. The Kingdom of God was a reality already present where Jesus had been welcomed-where his teachings had been able to change people’s lives.

E.g. Mark1: 15 “the right time has come” and the kingdom of God is near Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!” But it was also a future reality because the kingdom of God will be experienced in its fullness only at the end of times in fact prayer of the Our Father we ask God “thy kingdom come”. The basic message from Jesus is “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent, and believe in the gospel” mark1: 14. This message has two parts, the first part is what Jesus called the gospel: “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of god is at hand” The second part is the response to the gospel that Jesus called for people to make: “repent and believe in the gospel”

Almost two-thirds of Jesus’ parables refer to the kingdom of God (Mark and Luke use the term “kingdom of God” and Matthew uses the term “kingdom of heaven” both the terms to the same thing.

Christians believe that:

The followers of Jesus belong to the kingdom of God, but they are not the kingdom of God.

The church is part of the kingdom of God, but it is not the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is the rule of God. The church is a society of men and women. Who have accepted God’s rule in their lives.

I have chosen four parables and they are:

The Good Samaritan
The Lost Son
The Friend At Midnight
The Parable Of The Sower

The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37

This parable is about a man that is travelling down from Jerusalem to Jericho he is beaten up, robbed and stripped of his clothes and left half dead in the road.

Three people walked pass the man, the first two ignored him, and the third person decided to help.

The first person to pass was a priest, but when the priest saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. Then a Levite also came along he went over and looked at the man and then he too walked on by on the other side but then a Samaritan who was travelling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him his heart was filled with pity. He went over to him poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them up, and then he put the man on his animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper he told the innkeeper to take care of the man and that he would pay back whatever else he spent on him.

Jesus concluded, “ In your opinion, which of these three acted like a neighbour towards the man attacked by the robbers?” The teacher of the law answered, “the one who was kind to him.” Jesus replied, “You go, then, and do the same”.

The teaching for the parable of The Good Samaritan is that whomever we meet is our neighbour. We should treat everyone, including our enemies, with care and respect and that we should never discriminate against people for their race, culture, religious beliefs, age or sex/gender. So, we can learn from the parable that it is not right or fair to discriminate against someone because of who/what they are. As we are all God’s children and we are all made in his image and we are all put on Earth to live together with one another. Although we feel that the Levite and the Priest should of helped the Jew there may have been reasons for them not stopping to help:

E.g., they may have been afraid of attack, they may have thought the man was dead and touching a dead body would have meant that they could not have worked in the temple for a specific period. In addition, Jewish people tended to despise Samaritans-there had been friction between Jews and Samaritans for many years.

The Lost Son Luke 15:11-32

This parable is about two sons and a father. The younger of the two sons decides that he wanted his share of the property and his inheritance and that he was going to leave home.

Within days, the younger son had sold the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away where he wasted his money on a reckless living. He spent everything he had and then a severe famine spread over that country and he was left without a thing. Therefore, he went to work for one of the citizens of that country who sent him out to his farm to look after and care for the pigs. He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate as no one gave him anything to eat (this shows how hungry he was). He finally came to his senses and said, “all my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat, and I am here about to starve, so he decided that he would return to his father and say “father I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son, treat me as one of your hired workers. Therefore, he got up and started back to his father. He was still far away when his father saw him, his heart was filled with pity, and he ran threw his arms round his son, and kissed him.

He told his father that he was willing to return as his helper and that he was no longer fit to be called his son. Nevertheless, the father called his servants and told them to bring the best robe and put it on him, to place a ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet. He then told them to kill the prize calf and that they were going to celebrate the return of his son with a feast. The father then says that his son was dead and now he is alive, his son was lost but now he is found. Therefore, the feasting began. In the meantime, the elder son was out in the field. As he drew closer to the house, he heard the music and dancing. Therefore, he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on and the servant replied your brother has come back home and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back unharmed. The elder brother was extremely angry and he would not enter the house, so his father went out side and begged him to come inside the but he said to his father “look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes and when he comes back you kill the prize calf for him”. The father answered “my son you are always here with me and everything I have is yours, but we had to celebrate and be happy because your brother was dead but now he is alive; he was lost but now he has been found”.

When the son returned home he had reached a point of repentance (in Greek this is metanoia which means a change of heart or mind) as he had realised his fathers’ servants were better off than he was.

The father treated the son like a honoured guest when he returned, the robe was a sign of honour, the ring was a rich gift and a sign of position or authority, the shoes were also a sign of honour, the fatted prize calf was kept especially for the arrival of a special guest or for a special occasion.

The elder son-people may sympathise with him as he had slaved away and obeyed his father yet he never received the fuss given to his brother on his return.

The younger son-this shows how people can stray away from God and from his fellow human beings, his actions result in him being completely lost this is what sin does to a person.

The father-many people see in the actions of the father a picture of God’s forgiveness-Jesus is saying that God forgives the sinner absolutely.

The teaching for this parable is that God rejoices over each sinner who repents and welcomes him/her back also those who behave rightly should likewise be prepared to forgive one another.

The friend at midnight Lk 11:5-10

In this parable Jesus said to his disciples, suppose one of you should go to a friend’s house at midnight and say, friend let me borrow three loaves of bread, a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come to my house and I haven’t got any food for him.

Suppose your friend should answer from inside “don’t bother me the door is already locked and my children and I are already in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything”. “Well what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. “And so I say to you: ask, and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For all those who ask will receive, and those who seek will find, and the door will be opened for anyone who knocks. Would any of you fathers give your son a snake when he asked for fish? Alternatively, would you give him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? Bad as you are you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then

Will the father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”?

The teaching of this parable is in order to receive, one should ask. We cannot expect to receive something without asking for it. E.g., you cannot expect answers to prayers without actually praying in the first place. The parable of the friend at midnight does not show that God does not answer prayer until he is pestered, what it actually shows is that God answers those who are persistent in prayer.

The Parable of the Sower

In this parable, a man went out so sow some corn. As he scattered the seeds in the field, some of it fell along the path, where it was stepped on and the birds ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, and when the plants sprouted, they dried up because the soil had no moisture. Some of the seeds fell among thorn bushes that grew up with the plants and choked them. Finally, some of the seeds fell in good soil and so the plants grew and produced corn a hundred grains each. Jesus concluded this parable by saying, “listen then if you have ears”

The teaching of this parable is that the kingdom of God will be successful in spite of all difficulties and frustrations. In addition, people respond in different ways to Jesus’ message and to his proposal of life.

A few verses later Luke gives an allegorical interpretation of the sower where the different types of soil represent different hearers of the message of Jesus.

The seeds that fell along the path stand for those who hear, but the devil comes and takes the message away from their hearts in order to keep them from believing and being saved. The seeds that fell on rocky ground stands for those who hear the message and receive it gladly but it doesn’t sink deep into them, they believe for a while but when the testing comes, they fall away. The seeds that fell among the thorn bushes stands for those who hear, but the worries, riches and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke them and therefore their fruit never ripens. The seeds that fell in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.

B) Discuss the meaning and relevance of parables to the belief of Christians today

The parables are still seen as relevant today by Christians. They may be set in the everyday life of two thousand years ago but the meaning/teaching of them is still true today.

Christians are inspired by the teaching of Jesus’ parables. Values such as love, forgiveness and repentance are expressed in these stories.

The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches Christians to treat everybody as their neighbour. There should be no prejudice in dealing with people. Today, all people in the kingdom must be treated the same as we are equal and we are all God’s children.

The two great principals of the kingdom of God are love of God and love of neighbour. In this parable, Christians will see the command to treat every individual as a neighbour irrespective of religious, racial, social or any other division in society.

This parable encourages us to love in a concrete way. It has been the inspiration of an organisation called The Samaritans who offer confidential emotional support for those who are suicidal; they are there to listen and are not judgemental.

The parables of the lost son/coin/sheep are about the kingdom of God. The kingdom is one in which a forgiving father (God) offers people a chance to return him. The Judaism of the Scribes and Pharisees did not care for the lost. Christians see in the parable of the lost, a picture of God’s forgiveness. They also claim that forgiveness produces reconciliation only when it is preceded by repentance. God forgives without conditions, but forgiveness is only effective when a person realises they need to be forgiven.

The parable of the sower is still applicable to life today, as there has been many times in history when Christianity has faced extreme difficulty. Sometimes it has been persecution or suppression and at other times, it has been treated with apathy. Nevertheless, throughout this, the kingdom of God has not just survived but it has flourished.

The allegorical interpretation of this parable can help Christians to examine their response to the word of God as the different types of soils represent the different hearers of the message of Jesus and people are able to identify what type of hearer they are.

The parable of the great feast/banquet is still relevant to life today as Christians believe that the message of the gospel is for all people. They claim that the kingdom of god is open to all, regardless of race, colour or class. This parable with its emphasis on the universalism of the gospel is seen as being very relevant to a modern understanding of Christianity.

In the parable of the great banquet/feast a man who is hosting a feast invites many people. When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell the guests to come, as everything is ready. However, they all began to make their excuses one after another. The servant then went back and told his master. The master then sent his servant out onto the streets and alleys of the town and told him to bring back the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. The servant then returned and said your order has been carried out sir, but there is no more room left. So the master said to the servant “go out to the country roads and lanes and make people come in, so that my house will be full” and then he said, “I tell you that none of the people invited will taste my dinner.

The parables of the mustard seed and the yeast can be seen as in the process of being fulfilled. From the beginnings of Christianity in the first century, the movement has continued to spread until it now embraces every continent on earth. From these small beginnings, it has grown into something large. Christians believe the growth will continue until the daily prayer, which Jesus taught his disciples, becomes in a reality.

In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus asked what is the kingdom of God like. What shall I compare it with? Jesus then goes on to say a man takes a mustard seed and sows it in his field. The plant grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make their nests in its branches.

In the parable of the yeast, Jesus asked again what should I compare the kingdom of God with. It is like this. A woman takes some yeast and mixes it with forty litres of flour until the whole batch of dough rises.

C)“the parables are no longer relevant for life today.”

Do you agree?

As I explained before Jesus’ parables are stories based on the everyday life of Jewish people 2000 years ago and may seem irrelevant for our life today.

Firstly, I both agree and disagree with this statement.

I do not agree with the statement that says that “the parables are no longer relevant for life today” because generally people have not changed much and parables speak to the needs of the human condition whatever the age. For example, the parable of The Good Samaritan still teaches us that we should love our neighbour and that we should not discriminate against others because of race, colour, gender, religion, and age etc. people still like to listen to stories rather than long sermons or talks, the parables still hold people’s attention. Parables are interesting and easy to listen to and understand, the language used to tell them is pretty plain and simple. Parables are memorable because they are short stories with one main message, which is the meaning or teaching, and are therefore very effective as many people still remember the parable of The Good Samaritan. Parables provoked a response from the listeners and encouraged them to think for themselves and interpret the parable in their own unique individual way and once they themselves had worked out the meaning, they would be more likely to remember it.

On the other hand

Some parables are more fully understood if the background of the stories is explained. For example, The Good Samaritan is better understood if the listeners are aware that there is conflict between Jews and Samaritans. As this issue is the main emphasis of the parable because if the two sets of people got on it wouldn’t be such a big deal that a Samaritan helped out a Jew. Parables do not teach in detail about some modern issues of disease, environment, modern warfare and television. Lifestyles and attitudes have changed and therefore the parables are harder to relate to in the world of today in some cases.

In conclusion, despite some problems of interpretation, the main teachings of the parables are relevant for life today; this is because human nature has not really changed.