Parables

The message of the Bible is timeless. Jesus' parables are "spiritual lessons" for the growth and development of Righteous Godly Character in a Trusting, Faithful man -- as well as being illustrations of the coming Kingdom [Government] of God.

Matthew Henry is often a good place to go for glimpses into the spiritual aspect of what the Bible is saying to God's Children. The bottom line is that "human nature" [the "carnal mind" - the "spirit" in man] is "HOSTILE" and rebellious to God, His ways and His laws [see Rom.8:7]... and that the Bible points to a time when God will "change" it.

"...WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED." (I Cor.15:51)

"...all the days of my appointed time will I wait, TILL MY CHANGE COME." (Job 14:14)

Regarding the relevance of the "Good Samaritan" parable for today - Matthew Henry says:

"...If we speak of Eternal Life, and the way to it, in a careless manner, we take the name of God in vain. No one will ever love God and his neighbor with any measure of pure, spiritual love, who is not made a partaker of converting Grace. But the proud heart of a man strives hard against these convictions. Christ gave an instance of a poor Jew in distress, relieved by a good Samaritan. This poor man fell among thieves, who left him about to die of his wounds. He was slighted by those who should have been his friends, and was cared for by a stranger, a Samaritan, of the nation which the Jews most despised and detested, and would have no dealings with. It is lamentable to observe how selfishness governs all ranks; how many excuses men will make to avoid trouble or expense in relieving others.

"But the true Christian has the law of love written in his heart. The Spirit of Christ dwells in him; Christ's image is renewed in his soul. The parable is a beautiful explanation of the law of loving our neighbor as ourselves, without regard to nation, party, or any other distinction.

"It also sets forth the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour toward sinful, miserable men. We were like this poor, distressed traveler. Satan, our enemy, has robbed us, and wounded us: such is the mischief sin has done us. The blessed Jesus had compassion on us. The believer considers that Jesus loved him, and gave His life for him, when an enemy and a rebel; and having shown him Mercy, He bids him go and do likewise. It is the duty of us all, in our places, and according to our ability, to succor, help, and relieve all that are in distress and necessity."

(Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Luke 10:25-37; The good Samaritan)

The world is still in dire need of this kind of Love and Compassion. Perhaps now more than ever. The biggest problem in the world has always been a SPIRITUAL one. The timeless spiritual lessons of God's Word [especially the parables] will always be relevant to any time and any generation of men... until Jesus returns and "changes" us all.

The Buddha did teach with parables, mostly using metaphors of things the people of his time dealt with everyday, and quite often with whatever was most prominent in his world -- for example there is the Path, and the groundless ground, and lots of discussion of water.

Most of the fantastic tales like the Jatakas and stories about the Buddha walking on water (or teleporting across it) were added to the suttas later. And because the Buddha's tales pre-date Christianity by at least a couple of centuries, some scholars say that many of the tales about Jesus in the Bible were inspired by Buddhist stories.

Plus so many other ways as well. Studying nature give Buddist"s insight as well. Here is an example of a Buddist parable. (Or commentary) ...... Whatever happens in your life, JOYFULL or PAINFUL, do not be swept away by reactivity. Be patient with yourself and don"t lose youe sense of perspective. Whichever of the two occurs , be patient.

Buddha is different from other religious leaders such as Jesus cause he got ability to see early lifes of his soul by that way he can easily tell stories which are commonly known as "Early Lifes' Stories",and Buddha is NOT a person but a state that anyone can reach so I guess you probably said about Gautama Buddha.

cause only one person can reach the Buddha state at one specific period mostly that person is known as Buddha.

You can not be a Jesus,but you can be a Buddha if you work hard that's the democracy of Buddhism.the next Buddha who is known as Maitri will born in 30,000AD according to Legend and many Buddhist Scriptures.

History became legend, legend became myth.!

This story Jesus told tells of a rich man who had two sons. One decided to take his inheritance and went away squandering it on prostitutes and such like. When the money ran out he was reduced to feeding pigs (unclean animals to the Jews) and was starving until he came to his senses and went back to his father hoping that he would take him back as a slave. However, instead of punishing him, the father went out to meet his son, welcomed him back as a son, and threw a party. The other son was upset at this, but the rich man rebuked the son saying that everything he had was now his as his brother had wasted his inheritance. So he would get what was rightly his anyway. But as for the other son, as the rich man put it, "My son who was 'dead' is now alive! He was lost but now he is found!"

In the story, the rich man represents God. The lost son is us - as we have rebelled against God because of our sin. The other son is those people who think that they deserve more than they should because they appear to live a righteous life. The inheritance is the Kingdom of God - heaven - that God has promised us if we love him.

The story tells us that, should we stray away and rebel against God, as long as we come to our senses like the lost son, and return to him in penitence, then God will not punish us like the rich man should have punished his son for wasting the inheritance. instead, like the father in the story, God will meet us coming back to him, forgive us and rejoice that we have repented and turned back to him once more.

As Jesus put it "there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous people who need no repentance"

I think Jesus told this parable primarily for the Jews. The first interpretation of the parable is the Father represents God, the oldest son represents the scribes and Pharisees and the youngest son represent the Israel. If you look at the context of the parable:

Luk 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.

Luk 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."

Luk 15:3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:.......................

Compare the attitude of the Pharisees ( why is he spending time with sinners and tax collectors) with the attitude of the eldest son ( why is he spending money on that useless no good son).

Israel (youngest son) at this stage of their history are far from the relationship God intended for them to have with Him .

Jesus tells them in the parable if they return to worshiping God, God will accept them. The music, dancing, rejoicing would have taken place if Israel had accepted Jesus as the Messiah.

When Jesus tells this parable some Pharisees and scribes are also listening:

Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.

Luke 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them."

Jesus first tells a parable about a lost sheep, a lost coin and then he tells the parable of the lost son. All these parble are directed at the scribes and the Pharisees.

In the parable the father represents God, the youngest son represents Israel and the oldest son represents the scribes and Pharisees.

The youngest son leaves his father, just as Israel turned from God. The youngest son when he sees his error returns to his father. (If Israel had accepted Jesus as the Messiah this parable would not have been needed)

The oldest son is prejudiced towards the youngest son because the youngest son is treated well, given a lot of attention etc by the father.

In the gospels we can see Jesus paid a lot of attention to the ordinary people, Jesus was calling them and all Israel to repentance. The scribes and Pharisees of the day were jealous because they thought they were the spiritual men of Israel and Jesus should have paying attention to them.

Another answer:

Here is Matthew Henry's "concise comment" on the Prodigal Son:

11-16 The parable of the prodigal son shows the nature of repentance, and the Lord's readiness to welcome and bless all who return to him. It fully sets forth the riches of gospel grace; and it has been, and will be, while the world stands, of unspeakable use to poor sinners, to direct and to encourage them in repenting and returning to God. It is bad, and the beginning of worse, when men look upon God's gifts as debts due to them. The great folly of sinners, and that which ruins them, is, being content in their life-time to receive their good things. Our first parents ruined themselves and all their race, by a foolish ambition to be independent, and this is at the bottom of sinners' persisting in their sin. We may all discern some features of our own characters in that of the prodigal son. A sinful state is of departure and distance from God. A sinful state is a spending state: wilful sinners mis-employ their thoughts and the powers of their souls, mispend their time and all their opportunities. A sinful state is a wanting state. Sinners want necessaries for their souls; they have neither food nor raiment for them, nor any provision for hereafter. A sinful state is a vile, slavish state. The business of the devil's servants is to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof, and that is no better than feeding swine. A sinful state is a state constant discontent. The wealth of the world and the pleasures of the senses will not even satisfy our bodies; but what are they to precious souls! A sinful state is a state which cannot look for relief from any creature.In vain do we cry to the world and to the flesh; they have that which will poison a soul, but have nothing to give which will feed and nourish it. A sinful state is a state of death. A sinner is dead in trespasses and sins, destitute of spiritual life. A sinful state is a lost state. Souls that are separated from God, if his mercy prevent not, will soon be lost for ever. The prodigal's wretched state, only faintly shadows forth the awful ruin of man by sin. Yet how few are sensible of their own state and character!" (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Luke 15; the Prodigal Son)

Answer:

The whole world isn't supposed to understand the Truth of the Kingdom of God, yet. The world WILL understand when God's plan is done... but He isn't calling everyone, yet.

Jesus reveals His parables ONLY TO THOSE WHOM HIS FATHER IS CALLING NOW. It's these "predestined," "called-out-ones"... God's "elect" who are given the understanding of God's Truth at this time during this first 6000 years of man's trying to govern himself without his Creator's interference. Governments that are under the evil influence of man's chosen god, Satan... the god of this world.

Only a select few people whom God has been calling out from each of the generations of men since Abel are being given the understanding of God's Truth... because these people are "training for Kingdom rulership positions" to CO-RULE the coming Kingdom of God over the nations of the earth under Jesus Christ.

God is training up rulers who are OBEDIENT to His voice and His laws. Something to which carnal minded man is naturally rebellious.

"The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." (Rom.8:7 NIV)

Only a human mind (spirit) that is opened, changed, converted and receptive to God's Word can become or be trained to be obedient to the laws of God. And only God can open the human minds of those whom He is calling.

It's not that "no one" can understand Jesus' parables. It's just the future leaders of the coming Kingdom of God who are GIVEN the understanding of them for now. Jesus always explained them to His disciples in private, after the crowds were gone.

"The disciples came to Him and asked, 'Why do you speak to the people in parables?' He replied, 'The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU, but not to them..." (Matt.13:10-11 NIV).

"This is why I speak to them in parables: 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' " (Matt.13:13-15 NIV)

"But BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES BECAUSE THEY SEE, AND YOUR EARS BECAUSE THEY HEAR." (verse 16)

"...for I tell you the Truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. 'Listen then to WHAT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER MEANS: When anyone hears the message about the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. (verses 17-19)

"The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the Word and at once receives it with joy. But since it has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he quickly falls away. (verses 20-21)

"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (verse 22)

"But the one who received the Word that fell on good soil is the man who hears the Word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.'" (verse 23)

Jesus then told three more parables to the crowd: "the Kingdom of Heaven is like... the Kingdom of Heaven is like... the Kingdom of Heaven is like...".

"Then He left the crowd and went into the (His) house. His disciples came to Him and said, 'Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field..." (verse 36).

And Jesus explained to them the symbols of the parable of the weeds... and told them three more "Kingdom parables" and said:

"'Have you understood all these things?'... 'Yes,' they replied." (verse 51)

God's Word explains His plan to those with the ears to hear. These people are being trained by Jesus through His Word to become "obedient servants" to God's laws. They are learning to care about other people... their brothers and sisters... about the future Family of God that shall one day live in the Kingdom of God being prepared for GOD'S FAMILY.

God's called-out-ones shall be fully trained... and have the full power of God... to rule over the nations when the time comes. It won't be like Bush's takeover of Iraq, where confusion reigned in the resulting ABSENCE of government leadership once Saddam was removed.

"In the time of those kings. the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever." (Dan.2:44 NIV)

"But the saints of the Most High will receive the Kingdom and will possess it forever - yes, for ever and ever." (Dan.7:18 NIV)

"Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS - he will rule them with an iron scepter. he will dash them to pieces like pottery..." (Rev.2:25-27 NIV).

Someone understands Jesus' parables. They are the "first generation" of God's Children in the process of learning obedience, and growing and developing in Godly love and character. They are the future leaders of God's growing Family.

The Father has "many mansions" (chambers, offices, jobs, positions) to fill in His preparation of His Kingdom. And when they're filled, He will send His Son back to earth with many crowns to give to His faithful and obedient Children.

"Jesus said to them (His disciples), 'I tell you the Truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt.19:28 NIV)

Someone understands Jesus' parables.

This parable is found in Matthew 20:1-16 and ends with the words:

16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. This statement links it with the previous discussion Jesus was having with His disciples concerning themselves, as in: 30But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

This connection makes it likely He was addressing the parable to the disciples who had demonstrated their willingness to be laborers together in His vineyard.

* Parables are what Christ used in the Bible to teach lessons. He used them to teach lessons to the children and everyone else, though only those who were willing to follow Him actually learned their true meaning. == == * Jesus told parables while He was teaching, to help us understand what He was telling us. == == * To confuse those who are not Jesus' direct disciples.Luke 8:9And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. == == * Parables have been used in a number of different contexts as a method of teaching. In the New Testament the Greek word parabole means 'a placing beside' or a 'placing of one thing beside another' with the idea of making a comparison. The parable is generally used to describe a teaching or story which is drawn from either nature or human experience, the aim of which is to teach or illustrate a spiritual lesson. There is a distinction between a parable which uses earthly things and gives them a spiritual meaning, and a fable which gives things attributes which they do not normally have naturally.

* Jesus frequently taught in parables in which He frequently taught truths connected with the kingdom of God. It has been noted by some that Jesus' withholding of the true meaning of the parables was a judgment upon them due to their being in some manner unworthy. Edersheim expands on this when he states in relation to them "They are all occasioned by some unreceptiveness on the part of the hearers, and that, even when the hearers are professing disciples." (Alfred Edersheim:The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah, p400)

* Thus, the secret of the parables was most certainly available to all who sincerely sought it with a heart that was right. The spiritual analogy was not for those who did not wish to submit themselves and to follow Jesus as their master and so it remained hidden from them. Their lack of submission and receptiveness was their choice. At other times Jesus spoke plainly enough, as well as through His works.

* Jesus spoke in Parables because he learnt this method from his training in India and Tibet.