In this series we will learn about the famous teaching style of the greatest teacher, Jesus.
Jesus did not invent the teaching style of using a parable, but merely used it in profound ways to present “new” things. Parable teaching, putting an idea alongside of the truth to convey a message, was used by the Pharisees. The difference between a parable told by a Pharisee and a parable told by Jesus was that the Pharisees used them to talk about how things were in the past, in the Old Testament. They used them to point out what people were doing wrong and what they should do.
Jesus came along and used the teaching style in a profound way to teach about new things, new concepts and realities. This use of the teaching is also what steamed the Pharisees. Each time they witnessed Jesus teaching with a parable, they immediately tried to cross-reference it to the mosaic law of the Old Testament, and were frustrated and distraught about this man and his confusing talks.
This frustration and attitude is expected and even goes back to the scriptures of Isaiah. Right after God reveals himself to Isaiah and the angels sing out “holy, holy, holy”, Isaiah makes his bold move to volunteer with “here I am Lord, send me”. He is told of this future situation, where people will have ears but not hear, and eyes but will not see. Which will last until the “holy seed” is ready to germinate.
Parables of the Old Testament, which are few and far between, do exist. One of the most famous ones is very eye opening. It is done in such a tenacious situation, and as a reader we can almost see the story unfolding, but the subject is apparently clueless. It is recorded in 2 Samuel, after David kills his mistress’ husband. God sends a young prophet named Nathan to speak to the King of Israel, David. It is the suspenseful chapter 12 that captures the crescendo of a parable as the subject gets the story of the parable and then is told that it is about himself. That is the power of a parable, but notice that the parable was used to convey a known law/truth. It was not used to teach anything new.
In the New Testament, Jesus explains how he is the seed that Isaiah was talking about and how he was actually using the parable style of teaching to only communicate to those that were going to receive the new hope he represented. Check out the two sections of scripture, now Jesus words in Mark might make a little more sense…
Interestingly, the only parables recorded in the New Testament are told by Jesus. He was teach the new way. All the remaining stories presented after Jesus were actually pointing back to Jesus, not new ways or things but of the seed that sprouted…
In this series we will review and discuss the variety of parables documented in the New Testament.
- Judging Others (Speck and Log) – Matthew 7:1-5
- The Good Shepherd – John 10:1-8
- The Wise & Foolish Virgins – Mathew 25:1-13
- The True Vine – John 15:1-17
- The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37
- Rich Man & Lazarus – Luke 16:19-31
- The Shut Door – Luke 13:24-30
- Build Wisely – Matthew 7:24-27
- Sons – Luke 15:11-32
- Seats at the Wedding – Luke 14:8-11
- The Talents – Matthew 25:14-30
- The Friend at Midnight – Luke 11:5-8
- The Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:23-25
- The Two Sons – Matthew 21:28-32
- The Unjust Steward – Luke 16:1-13
- The Evil Farmers – Matthew 21:33-46
- The Foolish Rich Man – Luke 12:15-21
- The Unfaithful Steward – Luke 12:34-40
- Faithful & Evil Servants – Matthew 24:42-51
- The Pharisee & the Tax Collector – Luke 18:10-14
- The Lost Sheep – Luke 15:1-7
- The Vineyard Workers – Matthew 20:1-16
- Sower and the Seed – Luke 8:5-15
- Wheat and Tares – Matthew 13:23-30, 37-41
- The Mustard Seed – Matthew 17:19-21
- Yeast of Pharisees & Sadducees – Matthew 16:6-12