FREE ESSAY ON NEW TESTAMENT PARABLES

NEW TESTAMENT PARABLES

New Testament Parables 
1. Topic: Parables of Jesus in the Gospels. Mt 13:10-15, Mk 4:10-12, Lk 8:9-10 (The
Purpose of Parables); Mt 13:31-32, Mk 4:30-32, Lk 13:18-19 (The Parable of the Mustard
Seed); Mt 25:14-15 (The Parable of the Talents); Mk 13:33-37 (Need for Watchfulness); and
Lk 19:12-13 (The Parable of the Ten Gold Coins). 2. Context: The context for Matthew's
parables is that they come right after the section on mounting hostility to Jesus and his
mission (in which Jesus establishes that every one of His followers and who does the will
of God is his brother and sister) and right before more of Jesus' miracles and teachings
outside Galilee. In Mark's Gospel, the preceding is the same, but it is followed by more
works in Galilee. Luke's parables also follow the telling of Jesus' works and miracles.
They are followed by His journey to Jerusalem. 3. Relevant Footnotes: Matthew 13:11 - A
parable is figurative speech and there is more to it than just the story. One has to
reflect on the story to understand its meaning. God grants the gift to understand to his
disciples but not to the crowds. This fulfills Isaiah's prophecy. Matthew 13:31-33 - This
illustrates how small the kingdom of God starts out with the preaching and healing
ministry of Jesus, and how big it will eventually expand to. Matthew 25:14 - The
interpretation is that one who uses his gifts wisely will see the kingdom, but laziness
will lead to exclusion. Mark 4:11 - The reason for Parables, in Marks' view, is so the
commoner, or disbelieving crowd, will not understand the meaning and teachings of Christ,
but only his disciples will, who interpret it and can understand because of their faith.
4. Comparison: The purpose of the parables is common to the three synoptic gospels. In
all three the same message is conveyed. However, Matthew's view or interpretation is much
subtler. He does not say that it is Jesus' purpose to confuse the crowds or keep the
meaning hidden. The Parable of the Mustard Seed is the same throughout all three gospels.
The third passages of each group are indeed different. The Parable of the Talents in
Matthew tells us that we should use our talents to their full extent to help others and
ourselves. This, and not laziness, will lead us into heaven. The Need for Watchfulness in
Mark conveys the message that we should always be ready for the coming of the Father. In
other words, we should try to be sin free at all times, because we do not know when it is
our time to go on to our next life, either in heaven, hell, or purgatory. The Parable of
the Ten Gold Coins in Luke has similar meaning as that of the Parable of the Talents, but
in a different context - gold coins instead of talents. It also tells about the conduct
of faithful and productive servants. 5. Old Testament Cross-references: Matthew 13:14 -
There is a reference to a prophecy by Isaiah which says, "You shall indeed hear but not
understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they
will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their
eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted and I heal
them." Matthew 13:32 - this can be traced back to Ezekiel 17:23 which says basically the
same thing, "on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it. It shall put forth
branches and bear fruit, and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind shall dwell
beneath it, every winged thing in the shade of its boughs." A tree of the Lord will
represent a dwelling for His people. Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:9 have the same reference as
Matthew to Isaiah. Luke also has the same reference to Ezekiel as Matthew. The rest of
the passages have no Old Testament cross-references. 6. Commentary: Meaning of Parables
-- Barclay says that for the meaning for the parables, that the Greek word for secret is
musteria. This originally meant to the New Testament society, "something which was
unintelligible to the outsider but crystal clear to the man who had been initiated"
(Barclay). In other words, Christianity can only be understood from the inside, through a
personal experience. So Jesus spoke in parables because common, outsider, men could not
see the truth in any other way. This was a deliberate act of God. There was great despair
felt for all the followers, but faith was the key to long term happiness. Parable of the
Mustard Seed - the mustard seed was not the smallest seed in Palestine, but it was
epitome of smallness. But at the same time, this little seed, did turn into something
like a tree. The kingdom of God starts as something very small but will end with the
following and gathering of many nations. "It is a fact of history that the greatest
things must always begin with the smallest beginnings" (Barclay). The Parable of the
Talents (Ten Gold Coins) - God says that you can have no religion without adventure and a
shut mind is useless. Every man is unique in the gifts that he receives. The only thing
that God asks is that these gifts be used to their full extent - one has to at least try
their hardest. The reward of a job well done is still more work. If a man has a talent
and uses it, his skill will increase. On the contrast, if a man has a talent and does not
use it, it will leave him. Be on the Watch - Jesus does not know exactly the day of the
Second Coming or the end of the world, for some things are still left up to His Father.
The parable simply tells us that we should live in a way that it does not matter when the
end comes. Everyday we must be ready to meet God face to face, and that life is simply
preparation for this. Further, we must never become obsessed with earthly things and
never forget God.