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Parables
A parable is any brief story involving human characters illustrating a lesson. Parables of Jesus are a key part of the teachings of Jesus. Ask and answer here about the parables of various cultures of the world, their origin and interpretation.
545 Questions
What are the moral lessons of parable of the ten virgins?
The lesson is that you should be ready for Jesus christs second coming.
What is Jesus parable of the speck and the eye?
This parable is found in Matthew 7 and also in Luke 6:41-46. In the KJV, a mote is a splinter and the beam is a plank of wood. It is teaching the principle of ensuring that we've dealt with our own problem first before we approach someone else about theirs. Another's sin may well be miniscule compared to our own overlooked sin. We are no help to others in overcoming their sin if we are suffering the same problem and fail to see it. Also note that the idea is to help remove the problem, rather than to merely see it. Too often people are approached out of a prideful and judgmental motive rather than a genuine desire to help end the problem, hence Jesus' use of the term 'hypocrites'.
3 And why behold the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how will thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. === ===
What is the most famous parable?
The most famous parable in the bible is, The story of the prodigal son in Luke.
He preached by parables, because thereby the things of God were made understandable
Jesus did not lie nor did He deceive anyone. The fact is, for over 1900 years, humanity has been able to access the plain meaning of Jesus' parables, just as He explained them to His closest followers. His followers were always privy to His available thoughts and teachings. The people who didn't get the explicated story were not followers, but people who wouldn't have cared for the stories' content in the first place, primarily because they didn't care for the Storyteller. After over 1900 years, His followers still 'get it' and outsiders still find reasons to disparage of the carpenter-turned-itinerant rabbi; not much has changed.
I would sugest that the parable of the Wise and Foolish virgins. I say this because it deals with those who were not ready when Christ comes again. The unfaithful servant deals only with the reponsibility of missionary work. Though both are important I think that being ready for when Christ comes is the most important. In actual fact the first includes the second.
Where can I buy The Prodigal Project - book 5 by Ken Abraham?
As far as I know the book hasn't been written. It may not happen as the series never took off like LaHayes' Left Behind series. For those of us who enjoyed the first four books, it is a shame to be left hanging.
Whit Smart, Sonlife Christian Store, Hammond, LA
What is that parable of the moth?
"The Parable of the Moth" is a story written for an Internet magazine called "The Huffington Post". It signifies the meaning of "like moths to a flame, here they come in droves".
The story of the lost son and loving father?
This parable can be found in Luke 15.
The youngest son of a family asks his father for his inheritance and leaves town. The son wastes his money on fast living and ends up working in a pig farm, eating the pig's food, The son realises that the workers on his father's farm are better off than he is so he decides to go home and ask his father to forgive him.
The father sees his youngest son coming down the road and rushes out o meet him. The father puts on a feats for the youngest son, this upsets the oldest son.
Why does the Bible say 'a certain man'?
Not everything in the Bible has to be loaded with meaning. Any wording in the Bible is a translation. It reflects speech patterns in use by the translator. Present jokes which start off with an opening like "Three guys went into a bar ..." have the same patterns.
How are parables used in everyday life?
Parables are explained in earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.
Why did Jesus teach in parables?
- It is reported that Jesus spoke in riddles some of the time and in ways that could also be misunderstood by some. Maybe there was a lot of hidden meanings there too... some of the parables are excellent philosophy to be used in normal everyday life like taking life one day at a time, only be concerned for the troubles of that day and let tomorrow be concerned for itself. It is also written in the scriptures that "it is not for man to understand God"
- Jesus spoke in parables to illustrate spiritual principles in much the same way parables and analogies are still used. When directed at believers, parables were sometimes used, hence the reason why those who had already refused to believed could not understand them. They had chosen to harden their hearts and had forfeited understanding. This is clear from the quote in Matthew 13: 10-17: "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.
- It is easy to make the average people to understand his spiritual mission through small stories called parables.
- Many of the parables attributed to Jesus are to be found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and are believed to have been copied by both authors from the hypothetical 'Q' sayings document. 'Q' is only a list of sayings attributed to Jesus and does not tell us when he spoke those sayings or in what context, so the easiest way to insert them into the gospel story was to do so in the form of parables.
What does 'parable of the good samaritan' mean?
We need to help those in need, regardless of what their religious beliefs are. It doesn't matter who they are, we need to try to help them how ever we can. It means that we should love the sinner, and hate the sin s/he commits.
Answer2: CAN we recognize tendencies toward prejudice in ourselves? For example, do we draw conclusions as to the character of a person based on his skin color, nationality, ethnic group, or tribe-even though we do not know that person? Or can we value each person for his or her unique qualities?
In Jesus' day people who lived in Judea and Galilee generally had "no dealings with Samaritans." (John 4:9) A saying recorded in the Talmud no doubt expressed the feeling of many Jews: "May I never set eyes on a Samaritan."
Even Jesus' apostles may have harbored a degree of prejudice against Samaritans. On one occasion they were not received kindly by a Samaritan village. James and John asked if they should call down fire upon the unresponsive people. By his rebuke, Jesus showed them that their attitude was improper.-Luke 9:52-56.
Jesus related a parable of a man who had been set upon by robbers during his journey from Jerusalem to Jericho. Two religious Jewish passersby were not inclined to help the man. A Samaritan, however, stopped and bandaged the man's wounds. Then he arranged for the man's care so that he could recover from his injuries. That Samaritan proved himself a real neighbor. (Luke 10:29-37) Jesus' parable may have helped his listeners to realize that their prejudice blinded them to the good qualities in others. A few years later, John returned to Samaria and preached in many of its villages-perhaps including the village that he once wanted to have destroyed.-Acts 8:14-17, 25. (fr 9/8/04 Awake "End of Prejudice" Jehovah's Witnesses official website)
What can the parables in Christianity be described as?
Type your answer here... lord Jesus used them so that people of this world may not understand
Another answer:Parables were a teaching tool in story form, extensively used by Jesus, in which one thing represented another. Specifically, in Jesus' teachings, something temporal or ordinary represented something spiritual or extraordinary. The word "parable" comes from the Greek parabole, which literally means "a placing of one thing by the side of another."They can be described as "extended metaphors" in this sense of a metaphor: "something used, or regarded as being used, to represent something else."
Why might a parable be used or even modified to teach different lessons in different gospels?
- It is quite possible that Jesus used the same story more than once to illustrate different points and that the Gospel authors simply differed in which version of the story they selected.
- An individual Gospel author may have changed the setting of the parable to better illustrate the point he wished to make to his readers.
When did Jesus not explain his parable?
What parable are you asking about? Jesus told many parables and it says in the Bible he did explain some. For example:
Luk 8:9 Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"
Luk 8:10 And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND.'
After this verse Jesus goes on to explain the parable of the sower. Jesus did not explain all the parables to everyone.
What does the parable of the shrewd manager mean?
The parable you are refering to is Luke 16:1-8 with additional teaching by Jesus on money in Luke 16:9-15.
The difficulty of this parable is that a dishonest manager is being commended for his dishonesty! It is confusing. Do not steal is one of the 10 commandments. How is this behavior being commended?
The key in understanding the parable is to know if the manager is acting on behalf of his master (The Rich Man) when he lowers the debt the creditors owe his master. Luke 16:3 indicated he was. The manager says this, "My master is taking away my job." Note the tense of the verb. The Rich Man did not fire him on the spot! He was in the period of time his master gave him to "give an account of your management" (Luke 16:2). The creditors were under the impression that the Rich Man was the one being generous with them and lowering the amount they owed him.
The shrewd manager was hoping the creditors would welcome him into their homes and give him hospitality if and when he lost his job and was in need. He was hoping the creditors would honor the messanger who gives them good news. Notice that it is the Master who commends the "dishonest" manager because he acted "shrewdly" (Luke 16:8). The Rich Man had two choices. Firstly, he could expose the dishonest manager for acting independently of his wishes and tell his creditors they still owed the full amount of their bills. If he does this he would appear selfish and greedy (even though it would be within his rights). Secondly, he could let the action of the manager stand and receive the praise given him by his creditors (and no doubt others within the community) for his generousity. He would learn from his mistake of letting the manager he was suspicious of act on his behalf. Next time he would fire someone on the spot.
Jesus follows up the parable with a challenge to those who follow him to be creative in their use of worldly wealth for eternal purposes! He contrasts "worldy wealth" with "true riches" (Luke 16:11). Jesus does not confuse the two. He concludes with the warning that no one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and Money at the same time. You can only have one master. If money is your master then God cannot be. If God is your master then you will use money to serve God. That is the point of this parable.
stories that give lessons
old testament
1. the walls of Jericho fall
2. dividing of the Jordan river
3. staying of the sun and the moon
4. death of uzzah when he touched the ark of the covenant
5. houses on rock and sand
the list goes on
new testament
1. the barren fig tree
2. the pearl of great price
3. the rich fool
4. the bread of life
5. the lost sheep
and the list goes on
Jesus told this parable, (Matthew 18.23 to 35), to the disciples after Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother.
The parable shows us how forgiving our heavenly Father is. 10.000 talents is a lot by today's reckoning. If in gold, it is more than six and a half billion US dollars, and if in silver, it is 65 million US dollars. It is the sort of debt that no man could repay, (like our sins). The fellow servant owed this forgiven servant about $1.60 in our money.
This parable well illustrates how easy it is to forgive our brother ($1.60 debt), when we consider how much our heavenly father has forgiven us, (many millions of dollars).
The parable also shows us how we cannot mess with God and get away with it.
What problem might arise from sharing the story of the prodigal son with a Hindu person?
What social lesson might Hawthorne be teaching in The Minister's Black Veil A Parable?
people protect their personal privacy by wearing a public mask.
What is the moral lesson on the parable of the weeds?
The parable of the 'wheat and the weeds' is not so much a 'moral' story, as a prophecy. This is what it says: (Matthew 13:24-30) ". . . The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?''An enemy did this,' he replied."The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'"(NIV)
Jesus is here prophesying the spiritual conditions that would exist on the earth by the time God's judgment period arrives. The meaning of the prophecy is given by Jesus later in the chapter at: Matthew 13:36-43
Jesus often used 'agricultural' illustrations, since Israel was an agricultural community for the most part, so this information would be easily understood.
The 'weeds' spoken of are most probably "bearded darnel"(Lolium temulentum), a species of the grass family whose seeds are light weight and poisonous because of a fungus growing within them. (If darnel seeds become mixed with wheat kernels after the harvest, this can have a serious effect upon the eater. Dizziness, convulsions and even death).
"Darnel' has a few interesting traits that lend themselves to this illustration.
When they are young, they look very similar to 'wheat'....like a 'counterfeit wheat'. It's hard to tell them apart until they 'mature', at which time, their smaller black seeds make their HEADS wave high above the true wheat, which is full of heavy greenish seeds, causing it's heads to bow down. The 'weeds' then are easily spotted and eliminated.
Jesus was telling his disciples that over the centuries, apostasy(backed by satan) ('counterfeit Christianity') would move in and 'muddy the waters' of the true Christianity Jesus started,(2 Peter 2:1 & 2) and that for many years, it would all grow together(2 Corinthians 11:13-15), as can be noted in history, 'until the conclusion'... God's Judgment day... arrived, and the angels would start the 'harvest work' . AT that time, the 'empty headed' darnel (fake Christianity) would be standing out, haughtily waving prominently in the breeze. At the same time, there would also be people filled with GOOD fruitage, humbly speaking out for TRUE Christianity, who would clearly stand out as different, solidly obedient to God's word (Daniel 12:4, Matthew 24:31, Matthew 7:21-23, John 17:16), and they would survive the end of the system into God's new world. (Proverbs 2:21-22)(Psalms 37:11,29)
He meant just what he said - his son was lost - he didn't know where his son was - but now he is found ( the father knows where his son is). The father thought his son was dead but now he can see his son is alive.
What is the meaning of ring robe and sandals in the story prodigal son?
The robe represents: Protection and covering. The father provided it for His son not based on merits or good works, but based on birth.
The ring represents: authority and total restoration. It was like the family credit card.
The sandals represent: The boy was welcomed back as a son not a slave. the slaves probably went barefoot.
What was a Samaritan in the time of Jesus?
Samarians or Samaritans were residents of Samaria and may have been descended partly from the remnant Israelites allowed by the Assyrians to remain in Samaria and partly from the various peoples who were brought in to replace the Israelites taken into exile. They were implacable enemies of the Jews since they overran Samaria during the second century BCE. Samaritans had become monotheistic, worshipping one God but with many differences compared to the religion of their southern Jewish neighbours. Almost all the Samaritans eventually adopted the Jewish religion but a small community of Samaritans remains in modern Israel.
