Day 10: Parables
Jesus was a master teacher. Some of his most well-known teachings are told in short
stories called parables. The four Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—
tell the “good news” that God’s Kingdom has arrived on Earth through Jesus. Jesus
himself announced the Kingdom of God through his famous teaching called the
Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). This same sermon is preached “on the plain”
in Luke chapter 6. Jesus also brought God’s Kingdom into reality through his
healings, miracles, and the creation of a renewed family of Israel.
One of the most common ways that Jesus communicated was through stories, or in
Greek, parabole. Parables can often be seen as illustrations or explanations relating
to morality or religious truth. This assumes that there is a basic abstract idea that
the parables help to illuminate, but this doesn’t capture how and why Jesus used
parables. Parables are more than short stories.
The parables are beautiful and entertaining, but they are often cryptic. How can we read parables in a way that leads to understanding? That’s what today’s video is all about. You’ll be introduced to key concepts and passages that will guide your own exploration of the parables of Jesus.
Matthew 18:25-35
his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he
begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’27The servant’s master took pity on him,
canceled the debt and let him go.
28“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who
owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay
back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me,
and I will pay it back.’
30“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison
until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they
were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I
canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn’t you have had
mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34In anger his master handed him
over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive
your brother or sister from your heart.”
Luke 15:1-32
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus.
1But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes
sinners and eats with them.”
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose one of you has a hundred
sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country
and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it
on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together
and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same
way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a
lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds
it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have
found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence
of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one
said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his
property between them.
13“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant
country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent
everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him
were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go
back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against
you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired
servants.’ 20So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against
you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it
on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and
kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house,
he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what
was going on. 27‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the
fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went
out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve
been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even
a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who
has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened
calf for him!’
31“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have
is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was
dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
Matthew 4:23-24
23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.
Mark 15:21-47
21A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,
was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry
the cross. 22They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means
“the place of the skull”). 23Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but
he did not take it. 14And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast
lots to see what each would get.25It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
27They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his
left. [28] 29Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and
saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three
days, 30come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31In the same way the
chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves.
“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32Let this Messiah,
this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and
believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
33At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon. 34And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?”).35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he
said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” 40Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 41In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The Burial of Jesus
42It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as
evening approached, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the
Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to
Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was
already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already
died. 45When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body
to Joseph. 46So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped
it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone
against the entrance of the tomb. 47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
Joseph saw where he was laid.
Mark 16:1-8
1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a youngman dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they
laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into
Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” 8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have
verses 9–20.]