215
See also: The Good Samaritan 216–17 ■ The Prodigal Son 218–21 ■
Workers in the Vineyard 223THE GOSPELS
Unsurprisingly, only the seeds on
the good soil yield abundant crops.
Jesus explains what the parable
signifies: the seed stands for the
truth of the kingdom, while the
various soils represent the people
hearing the truth (18–23). If people
are not “good soil”—receptive to
the word of God—they will not
come to understand it. Only those
who comprehend the word and let it
transform their lives will bear fruit.Speaking in parables
Jesus uses everyday images, but
some fail to grasp the complex
spiritual truths they communicate.
For instance, after Jesus tells them
several parables, the disciples ask
Him to explain the story about the
weeds in the field (13:36), which
explains the existence of good
and evil people in the world.
Once Jesus explains them, the
stories make complete sense to
the disciples. However, when Jesus
does not clarify their meaning, theyare not always so obvious. This is
the very nature of parables—and
one of the reasons Jesus uses them.
He uses parables not just to convey
the truth to those who believe, but
to conceal it from those who harden
their hearts to Him. They will not
know the truth because “they
hardly hear with their ears ... they
have closed their eyes” (13:15). ■The oral tradition
Before the Jewish and
Christian traditions existed
in written form, they were
almost always passed down
orally. The history, values, and
folklore of these communities
were verbally transmitted
from teacher to student in
familial or educational circles.
Since the spoken word was
the main form of education,
students refined their listening
skills, while teachers sought
to be riveting orators. They
used rhetorical devices to help
structure their teachings and
make them more memorable.
Jesus learned and taught
in this method, which is why
He often quoted the scriptures
from memory and chose to
teach with parables: they
were short, rich with meaning,
and easy to remember. The
number of parables recorded
in the Gospels—decades after
Jesus’s death—demonstrates
their memorability and His
skill as a rabbi and storyteller.Five main types of parable told by Jesus:Jesus uses parables to teach several different religious lessons.
Describing
Heaven
as in The
Hidden
Treasure
(Matt 13:44).Describing the
lost being
redeemed
as in The
Lost Sheep
(Luke 15:1–7).About love and
forgiveness
as in The
Unforgiving
Servant
(Matt 18:21–35).Explaining
the nature
of prayer
as in The
Unjust Judge
(Luke 18:1–8).Explaining
Judgment
Day as
in The
Ten Virgins
(Matt 25:1–13).Jesus spoke all these
things to the crowd in
parables; he did not say
anything to them without
using a parable.
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