Parables

Parables were the stories told by Jesus, through which he gave moralistic messages as well as spiritual messages. Some of them are tough to understand and some relatively easier to grasp. Few of the parables have became extremely famous and being preached extensively like - Parable of mustard seed, Parable of Lost sheep, Parable of prodigal (lost) son, being few examples of the widely preached and sorted out parables. Parables have a special importance in the Bible, as they were the meant to give an instant moral teachings to mankind, and also most of them were short and sweet having deep meaning to it.

Matthew 13:13
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Some people take it this way, that Jesus used parables so that people who are called on by God to have eternal life will get it’s meaning. However, that is not the right perception. Because everyone who came on the earth has a right to know the route of salvation; albeit to follow it or not; that God has kept on our discretion. And Jesus used parables for teaching simply to make the moral teaching more interesting and more memorable. Ofcourse, all the parables had a deep elucidation to it, yet it carried an uncomplicated meaning to it. The way parables were spoken, were authoritative in mannerism yet humble for soul for the betterment of human lives.
When read separately or read entirely with the chapter, it’s core meaning and message remains the same. Parables have an aura around them because of the spiritual and scrupulous essence attached to it. When we read the parables spoken by Jesus Christ, we are always left with a deep impact as it opens up our mind and thinking process.
One of the most examined parables of Jesus is “The parable of Mustard Seed”

Matthew 13:31-32
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
This parable is such an into the face kind of message from Jesus. He compares faith in Jesus for Kingdom of heaven with a seed as tiny as mustard seed. And by sowing he intends to draw a metaphor, wherein he compares “sowing field” to our heart, soul, inner self. Thereby he implies to say that we should sow the seed of faith in our heart which is like a field wherein that seed of faith will grow, infact not only grow but multiply. Also, the mustard seed is extremely tiny, yet when it grows, it’s one of the greatest herbs in the field and when it further grows into a tree it multiplies its own benefit. So, the analogy it draws with the faith in Jesus and humans is that when we sow the seed of faith in our heart, it grows and it multiplies not only to give us eternal life in heaven but also gives us peace and satisfaction and the joy in the Lord here on the earth. Since, the hand of the God will be upon us due to our staunch faith in Jesus, enemy won’t be able to defeat us in his wily games. Lastly, the parable concludes with the great commission that the Bible teaches us, i.e. to spread the gospel. With the birds, Jesus tries to draw a metaphor with humans that would come to us because of our truthful, faithful and obedient nature that they would see in us for the Lord. They would come to enquire because Jesus would use us as his vessel to win souls. They would seek the Lord as we found out Jesus.
Another widely read and preached parable is the “Parable of Prodigal Son”. This particular parable mirrors the immense love that our Heavenly Father has for us. Crestfallen, repented, remorsed people when they turn back to Heavenly Father, he accepts them gracefully. This parable underlines the fact of the immense love bestowed upon us by our Heavenly Father. Whereas, the nature of the elder son who is jealous of the fact that his younger brother, who is being addressed here as the prodigal son returning home; reflects our judgmental character. The elder son unlike his father, isn’t gracious enough to welcome his younger brother, which is in complete contrast to his father’s nature.
Luke 15: 11-32 are the verses which Jesus narrates as the “parable of the prodigal son” to his disciples. Verse 32 echoes the truth that God wants us back and he welcomes with an open heart even if we denied him initially.

Luke 15:32
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Jesus talks here of the love and compassion that our Heavenly Father has for us. What mattered to him was that the prodigal son came back, he turned to his father (a metaphorical figure for Heavenly Father in this parable) when he realized what a blunder of a mistake he had committed. What the father saw in him was his repentance for his mistakes and his willingness to come back to him. In the same parable Jesus metaphorically compares the elder brother to pharisees, who judge people according to law, deeds and it’s consequences. This nature and behavior is complete antithesis to God’s love, care, grace and compassion. If we genuinely repent of our wrong doings and reach out to Lord for his help, there is no way that he would reject us in any way. Our desire to come to Lord vanquished the evil doings and our past and prompts us to turn back to Lord.
This parable is in the same line as the other two parables on lost and found subject, “ The Lost Sheep” and “The Lost Coin”.
Jesus gave so many parables in his lifetime and every parable had a deep moral, spiritual and practical impact whoever read and understood them. Another parable which broke the misconception of many who were being misguided by the pharisees was “What Defiles a Man”.

Matthew 15:11
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
A right into the face kind of parable for so called learned and law keepers of those days, better known as Pharisees and Sadducees. They we way to interested and pressurized people also to obligated their thought that only a well mannered, law abiding person would be welcomed in Heaven. However, Jesus broke the myth by giving this verse and explaining that yes a law abiding person is good for the society but it’s not the prerequisite to enter heaven and to have a life pleasing in the eyes of God. Instead, it the thought process that comes out of our body, mind and spirit that govern us and compels us to behave in a particular way, which eventually leads us to heaven or hell. A person who abides by all the laws, thinks lustfully towards a women or any materialistic covetousness will never be a righteous person in the eyes of God. A man is being defiled by the perceptions and conceptions he has and by the assumptions and presumptions he has, because those are the things which govern his body, mind and spirit and will affect his every action as well as reaction. Therefore, a man should be extra vigilant about his inward thought process. He should pay a close attention to what ideas, suggestions, thinking and questions arise in his heart, because if those are not in line with the commandments from God, he truly will defile himself.
A short moral story sticks in our mind rather than a long moral preaching, and that was the whole and sole reason as to why Jesus gave us so many parables to ponder upon in the Bible. The short one liners or a short story is easily remembered and can seamlessly implemented because of the simplicity in understanding it. Yes of course, to understand it is the first and foremost duty, but with the help of the Holy Spirit we could easily grasp the moral of the story.

Jesus knew that the impact of the parables would be an added advantage to the good news that he started commissioning.
Parables added fuel to the fire for already resented pharisees, whose power and authority was already in a jeopardy. The allegory presented by Jesus started opening eyes of many and they started coming out of the darkness and started accepting the Son of God as the light of this world, which Jesus himself proclaimed.

John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
The stronghold of pharisees was starting to crumble against an honest teacher, who made people realize that only law won’t give them the ultimate prize, but a walk with the Son of God, would give them what every individual is destined for. Parables created rumble in the minds and body of the pharisees, as they we the perfect blend of factual and moral oriented diegesis. The gentiles, the Jews, the pagans. the poor, the rich all started getting enlightened with the gospel and the parables including in the gospel. This irked pharisees to an extend that they plotted to crucify Jesus. Many things which pharisees did for showing off their faith were being challenged and put to rest by parables recited by Jesus. One among them is in -

Luke 18:9-14
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous , and despised other;
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other:for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Here, the parable speaks about a pharisee who was trying to attitudinize his worship and prayers to others, where as the publican was extremely simple and honest in his worship and prayers to God. The pharisee was more into law, whereas the tax collector in the parable was more about repenting and asking for God’s mercy. In the last verse Jesus gave the moral teaching, that we needn’t to exalt ourselves in front of God, instead get humble. Remove the sense of vanity, ego and superiority from your heart and worship God with a true, honest and a humble heart. Our vanity is the major contributor in driving us away from God.
The parables had a major impact on the people who heard and read them. One of the reasons for its significant and positive impact is the sheer audacity and the honesty with which Jesus spoke them at a time when pharisees were at peak of their powers. People were subjugated by the pharisees and sadducees through the law, which they twisted according to their own wish and will. Jesus came and set people free from the enslavement, he saved them for having a eternal life, he saved them for having a life which had faith in Heavenly Father, he saved them to understand what is pleasing in God’s eye, he saved them to live a life that would be as per the commandments of God and not of any religious leader. Our Lord also knows that vanity only will create a void between Him and Humans, and would only impel humans to disobey God.

Psalm 94:11
The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Since, he is the creator so he understands us in the most perfect and appropriate way, and through the parable of pharisee and publican he wants to convey a clear message to humans that don’t get caught in the games of vanity and swankiness and boastfulness. The parables are meant to create an instant impact on the heart and soul of a person. They stir the moral and spiritual aspects of thinking and makes the path in Jesus more clear and helps us to maintain the steadfastness in faith that is required to achieve the ultimate goal.