In the Bible, some stories just make sense. The plot, characters, and settings all seem to flow together. It’s easy to understand and read. Sometimes this is not the case at all. Some stories seem like riddles that need five entry codes and a key. To the followers of Jesus, some of these so-called riddle stories were called parables.
A parable is a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle (Merriam-Webster). Jesus gave us over 30 parables in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He told them to his disciples, followers, and to anyone who would listen. These stories were in a way fictitious, but there are four reasons why Jesus used them.
- They are simple.
One of the reasons why Jesus used them is that they were a teaching tool. When you think of school, the teachers try to simplify the bigger problem or event and make it easier for us to understand. And that’s exactly what our great Teacher from heaven did. He created stories with everyday examples for the people of His time. They were easy to understand for the people who came to listen. Alone, when talking about the kingdom of God, he had:
- 5 agricultural examples
- 4 examples concerning money
- 2 situations involving feasts
- 1 fishing story
- 1 example using cooking as its basis
In these parables, Jesus makes the truth of the parable easier to grasp instead of outright saying the harsh truth. You could say he did this out of love because He is a gentle yet truthful man.
A good example of this would be the parable of the mustard seed:
“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’”
Matthew 13:31-32
In this story, he tells of a farmer (which many of them may have been) who went out and planted the smallest of seeds. Yet when this seed grew, it bore much fruit compared to the size of the seed. He says the kingdom of heaven is similar; the smallest amount of faith can make a large impact.
- They are relatable.
When I pick up a book to read, one of the most special things to me is when I can relate to the story, or recognize something in the story that is in my own life. For me, that makes the book so much more important to me. I remember it more, I think about it more, and my head comes back to the moments in my life that it reminded me of.
Jesus did this with his parables. Along with making them simple, He took these stories and made them relatable. Think of the prodigal son, the story of the young man leaving his father to go live a life of worldly riches then come home with his hands empty and ashamed. Now, I am not yet a parent, but I do know that the thing my parents want for me is safety and wellness. In this parable, Jesus teaches that God is the same, that no matter the mistakes we make and/or the things we’ve been through, He will be waiting for us with open arms as a loving father. Read it for yourself:
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
“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. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
“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! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So 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.
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But 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. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:11-32
- They are compelling.
These parables can be compelling. It can be compelling emotionally and spiritually, sometimes even physically. In a way, He did just tell stories, however, His goal was to tell a bigger truth. There is a double layer to each parable: the first layer is a simple tale, and the second layer reveals a spiritual truth. These spiritual truths were sometimes used as tools to convict the heart of a follower. When asked the question of why He uses parables, Jesus states, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them” (Matthew 13:11-12).
A story that is compelling and convictional is a tool used by God even today. When I read this next parable, I am compelled to ask Jesus for forgiveness and change in my life. Materialism has been an ongoing battle in my life, and I am constantly running to Christ to be reminded of who and what is really important.
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21
- They are evergreen.
These parables have lived through generations and have been told for years. The definition of evergreen is just that: universally and continually relevant, not limited in applicability to a particular event or date (Merriam-Webster). He is constantly revealing the truth about God’s kingdom to His people while challenging commonly held world views. For Paul writes in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Jesus declares that as followers we must accept our life will be different, and he told that in many ways during his time here on earth, parables just happened to be a small part of that.