Study Tip: Parables

My Wednesday morning group is looking at a number of parables Jesus told in Mark 4, so I wanted to share some tips that may help in considering the parables.

 

 

Similes – Just the way you learned them in English class, these are simple comparisons using the words "like" or "as". We use them all the time- my son eats like a wild animal, and so on. many times, Jesus introduces these with the words, "The kingdom of heaven is like …" The thing to remember with similes, is that they highlight one idea. In the simile with my son, I drew attention to his table manners- or lack thereof. When Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, what aspect is He highlighting? Maybe… It starts small and insignificant but grows.

 

Metaphors– A metaphor is a comparison without any "road markers" to identify them. In Mark 4 Jesus says, "Do you light a lamp and then stick it under the bed? No! You put it on a lampstand." (That's a paraphrase.) Like similes, metaphors are one-idea comparisons, so don't torture them into saying too much. What was Jesus getting at with this metaphor? He never mentions the word gospel at all, but He's explaining to His disciples that the gospel message wasn't meant to be hidden in a dark corner somewhere, but preached so that it can bring the most benefit to the most people.

 

Allegory– An allegory is a story in which the characters and situations stand for somethings else in order to relate a moral truth. The parable of the sower is a tremendous allegory and Jesus explains it for the disciples after He's finished teaching the crowds that day. I won't detail the parable or the explanation here, but it's well worth a deep study. Unlike the similes and metaphors, a number of ideas are bundled up in an allegory– The sower just sows. If you're a sower, don't worry about tilling, watering or weeding. The seed, the message, is the same. Some will receive the message. Most won't.