Week 22: Teaching in Parables
Week 22: Teaching in Parables
Not only was Jesus a gifted teacher, but his favorite and distinctive medium of instruction was the parable. Basically the word parable means a comparison or simile, often in the form of a dramatic narrative, and usually conveying one main point, in contrast to the allegory, in which nearly every detail has its counterpart, as, for example, in the allegory of the vine and the branches.
The first function of Jesus’s parables was to illustrate some truth, especially regarding the character, values, and coming of the kingdom of God. Secondly, they were intended to jolt his listeners into a decision of some kind. Thirdly, they concealed truth as well as revealing it, since “though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand” (Matt. 13:13). Failure to understand was not the purpose of the parables, but it was their consequence if the hearers hardened their hearts.
Sunday: The Parable of the Growing Seed
Monday: The Parable of the Sower
Tuesday: The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
Wednesday: The Three Lost and Found Parables, Part 1—Gospel
Thursday: The Three Lost and Found Parables, Part 2—Mission
Friday: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Saturday: The Parable of the Good Samaritan