You’re invited to our new message series: Kingdom Parables from the book of Luke!
Description: Have you heard a great story lately? We all love a story that we can relate to. Jesus was a master story teller who told stories with a spiritual point called Parables. Since the human spirit is the same in each generation, we find Jesus’ Parables as relevant today as the day he told them. Our spring message series will examine some of the most beloved Parables by Jesus in the book of Luke. Pull up a chair and join us for Kingdom Parables!
Dates Titles Events
April 6 – A Parable about a Party (Great Banquet)
April 13 – A Parable about Death (Lazarus & the Rich Man) Palm Sunday, Communion
April 20 – A Resurrection Appearance (Road to Emmaus) EASTER
April 27 – A Parable About Serving (Talents) Serving Emphasis /Mission
May 4 – A Parable about Neighbors (Good Samaritan) Mission Emphasis
May 11 –A Parable about Needs (Widow, Tax Collector) Mothers’ Day
Introduction to Luke’s Parables
The parables of Jesus were stories He told to illustrate spiritual truth with everyday things. Seeds, fish, trees, bread — things people could easily relate to. While the parables He told sparked spiritual understanding in some people, they also served to make others aware of their own darkened spirituality.
Jesus did not code His teaching to prevent some people from understanding, since all equally would understand the imagery. All those gathered there certainly comprehended the aspects of the stories related to their everyday lives. Instead, His teaching divided the listeners into two groups based on their own responses.
His miracles had attracted many, and others had perhaps been astonished by His earlier teaching. But the parables themselves, just as in the story of the seed falling on various places (Matthew 13:3-9), revealed the true nature of their responses and their real decisions. Those committed to the Kingdom of God would seek and find further understanding. But those uncommitted—perhaps listening only because of the initial excitement—would reject the teaching as unintelligible.
However, some responded to their uncomfortable lack of understanding by pressing into Jesus harder. Nicodemus and the woman at the well are two examples of people who thought they understood the truth about spirituality and when they were confronted with Jesus’ unsettling words, they pushed into Him instead of drawing away.
Why Did Jesus Use Parables to Teach?
Jesus, a master storyteller, used parables to put the substance of faith into concrete form. He wanted to direct his hearer’s thinking and actions into a new realm of thought. Using parables, he shocked his hearers, called them to action, and challenged their ideals and values. Parables are more than stories; they proclaim the Gospel and call us to respond. As Jesus’ ministry continued, his teachings transitioned from direct instruction to clothed in parables. There are two reasons for this. One, following Jesus’ brilliant Sermon on the Mount, the Pharisees and many of his followers began rejecting his message. Two, it was to fulfill Isaiah’s prediction that some people would be ever hearing but never understanding because of their calloused hearts.
Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he faced increasing resistance and disbelief. Many times, he used parables to answer his critics. Parables became the vehicle to conceal truth from his enemies and reveal it to his followers. In his final six months, he told twenty-nine parables that centered on the future aspects of the Kingdom to be sought after.
How to Interpret Parables
While parables use comparison and analogy, we cannot confuse them with allegories. An allegory makes many comparisons through a coded message and each detail is a separate metaphor. There are four basic guidelines for interpreting parables. Following these four guidelines will help us determine the central meaning of each parable.
Our first step in interpreting parables is not overemphasizing the details in the parable. Each parable has one main truth to convey and the details support that truth. They do not detract from the truth Jesus intended. When we assign too much weight to the details, we miss the main point of the truth Jesus taught.
Second, we need to determine whether Jesus supplied the meaning of the parable. Many times, Matthew, Mark, and Luke note that Jesus gives a detailed explanation of the parable. We would be wise not to deviate from Jesus’ clarification.
Third, we need to remember that a parable represents a figure of speech and requires careful interpretation. This means that we need to avoid using parables as the foundation of doctrine. Parables are not the foundation or source of doctrine. They are illustrations Jesus used to support his teachings.
Fourth, context, context, context. When we interpret parables, we need to read the text before and after the parable. Then we ask: What is happening? What is the parable in response to? Who is there? What is the cultural context? For example, in the biblical sense, the word mystery means something revealed. But in our cultural understanding, it means something hidden. Biblical cultural context matters.
Parables Call Us to Action
Jesus used parables as a teaching method to illustrate his points. We learn that he calls us to his kingdom, he desires to save, they tell us how to live for him, and they inform us of future events. Every parable supports but does not define Jesus’ teachings. They are the best kind of stories and bring color to our lives today. They still provoke a call to action in us and remind us that God’s word is living and active, useful for everyday life.
List of Luke’s Parables
Each parable Jesus told served to bring truth and that truth functioned like a knife separating those who wanted truth and those who didn’t.
Here is a simplified list of topics included in Jesus’ parables. Many of the parables described the Kingdom of Heaven, not just heaven the place, but heaven as a kingdom with a purpose.
How The Kingdom Of Heaven Works (How God’s Character/Values Are Revealed)
- The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)
- The friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-13); The rich fool (Luke 12:13-21)
- The barren fig tree (Luke 13:6-9); The invited guests and taking a lower seat (Luke 14:7-14); The persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8)
How God Responds to Those Who Have Gone Astray
- The lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
- The prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32)
- The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
- The Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14)
Why Does This Matter Today?
While the parables reveal spiritual truth through practical illustrations, regardless of whether or not a sowing seed hits us personally in our day-to-day living, just like the original audience, the parables require us to decide if we press into or turn away from the Scripture we understand. Will we respond like the disciples who followed Jesus until His words seemed too radical or will we, like Peter, Nicodemus, and the woman at the well, follow Him all the more when His words are hard to swallow?
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Sources: https://www.christianity.com/jesus/life-of-jesus/parables/why-did-jesus-teach-in-parables.html
https://www.christianity.com/11820931/
https://www.christianity.com/newsletters/evangelism-weekly/what-is-the-meaning-behind-parables.html
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