THE PARABLES OF JESUS

Anyone who has been to church, or who has read the Gospels of the New Testament, has encountered the word "parable," where it appears in 32 verses.  All 32 refer to the teachings of Jesus.  According to Webster's New World Dictionary, a parable is "an allegorical relation, a comparison, an analogy; a short, simple story usually of an occurrence of a familiar kind, from which a moral or religious lesson can be learned."  I have heard many preachers describe parables as "an earthly story having a heavenly meaning." 

The problem with these definitions is that they do not explain why Jesus often taught in parables.  They give the impression Jesus wanted to simplify complex truths so that His audience could comprehend what He was saying.  In part, that is correct; He did want some of His listeners to understand, but He also wanted the greater part of His listeners to "remain in the dark."  Jesus explained this to His disciples:

"And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  for this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (Mt. 13:10-17).

The word "parable" appears in 49 verses in the King James Bible.  Surprising to me, 17 of them are found in the Old Testament [Num. (7x); Job (2x); Ps. (2x); Pro. (2x); Ezra (2x); Mic. (1x); and Hab. (1x)].  The Hebrew word is מָשָׁל (mashal), which is also translated "proverb" (19x); "byword" (1x); and "like" (1x).  Of the 17 Old Testament appearances, only four actually use the word in the same sense as it is used in the New Testament (Ps. 49:4; 78:2; Ezek. 17:2; 24:3); there, it is a teaching about spiritual truths using common, everyday parallels. 

The word "parable" appears in just four books of the New Testament:  Matthew (9x), Mark (6x), Luke (16x), and John (1x).  There, the Greek word is παραβολή (parabolē) in the Synoptic Gospels, and παροιμία (paroimia) in John's Gospel.  While παροιμία (paroimia) is translated "proverb" in John 16:25, 29, and in 2 Peter 2:22, only in 2 Peter does the word actually mean a proverb.  John's three uses of the word should have all been translated "parable."

I believe the reason there are no parables in the rest of the New Testament, is because Jesus had already died for the sins of the world; He had already been buried in a borrowed tomb; He had risen from the grave, just as the Scriptures had said He would; so now, the "mystery" has been revealed.  God commands His children to proclaim the Gospel, the truth, the whole truth, about Jesus Christ, our Creator, our Savior, and our soon-coming Lord!

I am so glad the Holy Spirit has enabled me to know Jesus!