The Parables of Jesus
A Brief Introduction
I. What is a parable?
A. It literally means to “throw along side of.” (i.e. para bola) even in South America they still use the “bola.”
B. The old ‘cliche’ is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning which as far as it goes is accurate but not broad enough to cover all the parables.
C. Some Parables are not stories at all.
1. “Physician heal thyself (Luke 4:23) is termed a parable by Jesus. In fact, many translations refer to it as a “Proverb.”
2. The things that proceed out of a man are those that “defile a man.” (Mark 7:15-17).
(What is it that comes out of me that is more important than what I take in, is the real question at hand). This is a “parable.”
3. The word para bola is a loose term but when used by Jesus it is most used as a comparison, usually in the form of a story.
D. There are a few parables’ in the Old Testament.
1. See Isa. 5: 1-7, the parable of the Vineyard.
2. 2nd Samuel 12:1-7. The story that Nathan told David.
II. Jesus used stories that were true to life!
A. There was a parallel between earthly affairs and heavenly things.
1. A farmer sowing in the Spring time (wheat and tares)
2. A Merchant in search of a ‘rare pearl.’
3. These are seen things that describe the unseen.
B. Parable is not an Allegory
1. In an Allegory, every detail in story has an inner meaning.
(See Galatians 4:24-31), but in a parable, many of the details for illustration may have no meaning at all. It is wise not to over examine a parable.
2. Notice Origen’s interpretation of the Good Samaritan.
“The man who fell among the robbers is Adam. Jerusalem represents heaven, and Jericho, since it was away from Jerusalem, represents the world. The robbers are man’s enemies, the devil and his comrades. The priest stands for the Law, the Levite for the prophets, and the Good Samaritan was Christ Himself. The beast on which the wounded man was placed is the body of Christ which bears the fallen Adam. The inn is the Church while the two pence are the Father and the Son. The Good Samaritan promises that he will come back again, so Christ Jesus will come again at the end of the world. “
C. Rather a silly interpretation but serves to make a point.
1. It is a fatal mistake to allegorize parables.
2. But, is still prevalent in many modern works.
III. A Couple rules for interpreting the Parables.
1. Start with looking for the central truth the Parable is trying to express. Always ask the question, “what is the main lesson of this story?”
2. Understand the parable in light of the circumstances in which it was given. (The context in which it was given).
a. Some parables have more than one lesson in mind
b. Often, the meaning of the parable is given in the context.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Parallel passages: Mark 4:1-8, 13-20
Luke 8:4-8, 11-15
1THAT SAME day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea. 2But such great crowds gathered about Him that He got into a boat and remained sitting there, while all the throng stood on the shore.
3And He told them many things in parables (stories by way of illustration and comparison), saying, A sower went out to sow.4And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and ate them up.5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up and withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out. 8Other seeds fell on good soil, and yielded grain--some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some thirty. 9He who has ears [to hear], let him be listening and let him [a]consider and [b]perceive and comprehend by hearing.
18Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:19[h]While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.20As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy;21Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, [i]lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and [j]begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.23As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.
The Responsibility of Hearing
I. The Early Parables of Jesus
A. According the Mark, the story starts with the word LISTEN. The story concludes with “He who has ears, let him hear.”
B. If we missed the point here it is: the person who teaches has a great responsibility, but in this case, the person who LISTENS has the responsibility.
C. This parable was spoken by the Sea of Galilee and in the vicinity of Capernaum. (It was very early in the ministry of Jesus)
1. Jesus had already been challenged as to why the disciple do not fast.
2. He answered with a “parable.” “Can the wedding guest morn, while the bridegroom is with them? But when the Bridegroom is gone away, then they will fast and morn.” (Matt. 9:15)
Two other short parables follow. “No one puts a new patch on an old garment, nor do men put a new wine in old wineskins" (Matt. 9:16-17).
3. These three parables teach the same thing. It is absurd think that a woman might sew an un-shrunk patch on an old garment, as would anyone putting new wine in Old Wine-skins. It is just as absurd to think that the disciples ought to fast while Jesus is still with them.
The Four Kinds of Ground
I. A Scene no doubt, very familiar to His listeners, a sower in the field.
A. The seed are sown and they fall on different types of Ground.
1. The wayside ground. Land divided into small plots because of scarcity of the land. Many people had plots in the same field with only a path between the plots. Seed that fell on the worn paths were doomed.
2. Second, the rocky ground. This was ground that was shallow due to underlying rocks. No depth. Seed sprang up and then died in the heat of summer.
3. The thorny ground. Had been plowed but not rooted well. Weeds jumped up and outgrew the plants.
4. Good ground. Fertile, loose and able to receive good seed.
B. One possible interpretation!
1. “By the time the parable was spoken, opposition to Jesus was mounting: and even with his great following it was becoming more clear that those who pressed Him were not really interested in spiritual but physical matters. The disciples were discouraged so Jesus acknowledges to them that much of the sowers work will go for nothing. Thus, the disciples labor is not in vain since some seed will fall on good ground.
But, the Focal Point of this Story is:
A. The sower and the seed.
(1) Other matters are important but the sower
represents a group. Anyone who sows in the kingdom of God.
(2) He is the gospel preacher and teacher or the person who tells his friend about Christ.
B. The Seed then:
(1) The Word of God (Luke 8:11).
(2) The Word as seed, 1st Peter 1:23. No life is possible without the seed.
The Soils and the Human Heart
1. The Wayside Ground. Ground is so hard the seed cannot take root. Some people are like this.
a. They hear the Word of God but the message is wasted.
b. They may not be focused, thinking of other things.
c. The may be full of arrogance and pride.
d. Is the human heart to blame because it is hard. Yes. Hardened by sin (Heb. 3:13)
2. The Rocky Ground. The impulsive follower. Wants to follow for the wrong reasons. Their faith was shallow and as soon as the new wears off they are gone.
3. The Thorny Ground. This is the person who is busy
with other things he/she deems important.
1. Life, making a living, supporting kids and things of that nature all get in the way.
2. The “cares of the world” the delight in riches” Mark. 4:19. A thorn is anything that crowds Jesus out.
3. We must also remember, we cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24)
4. The Good Ground -
1. The three gospel accounts explain the meaning of the good ground.
2. In Matt. 13:23, it is said that the hearer understands what they have heard and follows it through from beginning to end.
3. In Mark 4:20, it is the one who receives the Word.
4. In Luke 4:15 it is the one who keeps the Word.
IN THE END, WE MUST ASK, WHAT KIND OF GROUND ARE WE?
By Lane Rogers