Parable Notes
Parables - Symbolic stories told by Jesus in order to teach messages.
- The stories are filled with symbolism. The characters and events represent people and events in
real life.
2 Things that make a story a parable:
1) Symbolism
2) Messages
When reading parables, it's important to look at
1) Context, in particular who Jesus is telling the story to.
2) The details and what exactly happens in the story.
3) Using the details, try to figure out the symbolism of the story, looking at who and what the
characters and events represent.
4) Use the symbolism to figure out the messages and how people in modern times act like the
characters in the story.
Interpreting Parables – 3 Step process
Step 1: Creating your character list
After you understand the context and read the parable, make a list of the characters in the story.
Then write what each character does or what happens to him or her that is important. Sometimes
the setting can also be counted as a character.
Character List:
Character 1 - Important details
Character 2 - Important details
Step 2: Understanding the symbolism
For each character look at the details you recorded in step 1. Then write the types of people who
demonstrate similar types of behavior as the characters in the story.
Character 1 - Symbolism (who you think they represent)
Character 2 - Symbolism (who you think they represent)
Step 3: Deciphering the main message
Now that you understand the symbolism of the story, use that information to figure out what
message Jesus is teaching. Look at the plot and the symbolism of the characters’ actions to
decipher the message.
Parable of the Great Feast (Luke 14:7-24)
Context:
- In Jesus' time, whoever you ate with at meals was a very big deal. Your company was seen as
being more important than the food.
-People were often associated with the people they ate with.
- If you ate with someone of a lower status it was seen as being an insult to you and your guests.
Characters and Symbolism
King
- Invites guests to his feast so they can join him. When they decline he extends the offer to
people who are vulnerable - poor, crippled blind and lame.
- Symbolism: God who invites people to accept him in their lives
Feast
- A place or festival that people are invited to celebrate with the king.
- Symbolism: Heaven or God's Grace
Servant
- He is sent by the King to deliver the invitation to the people. He tells the guests about the
king's invitation.
- Symbolism: Jesus and other people (prophets) sent to bring us God’s love and message of
peace and salvation.
3 Guests
- The First group of people invited to attend the feast but they decline for various reasons.
- Symbolism: People who refuse God in their lives because they are too distracted by other
things that are more important in life (can mean all of us at different times). God is not enough
of a priority for these people.
The Vulnerable - Poor/Sick/Blind/Lame
- Suffering people who accept the invitation to the feast.
- Symbolism: Vulnerable or suffering people who know that they need God in their lives and
accept him.
Messages:
1.
God wants to be a part of every person’s life, but he will not force people to accept him.
It's up to us to accept God's love.
2.
There are many distractions that make it difficult for people to focus on God. Even good
things or people can bring us away from God if we don’t understand them or treat them
correctly.
3.
Sometimes people who are poor and suffering develop a stronger relationship with God
than people who don’t have any big problems. Experiences of suffering can help us to turn to
God for help and trust more in him. They are not always bad things. Even in the worst
situations we can always find God.
4.
We are called by God to help the people who are in the most need and are suffering.
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35)
Context: Jesus is responding to the question asked by Peter, “Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often should I forgive him?” (Basically asking how often should I forgive people) Jesus
answers him by saying that you should always forgive and then tells the parable to show the
message.
Money
- Payment owed by one character to another in the story.
- Symbolism - Represents sins committed against another person or God
King
- Agrees to let Servant #1 go free when he asks him for forgiveness of his debt without having to
pay anything.
- Gets upset with his Servant #1 when he finds out he didn't forgive Servant #2 of his debt.
- Symbolism - Represents God who is all forgiving when we ask him for forgiveness. However,
He is unhappy when refuse to treat others the same way.
Servant #1 (Debtor)
- Asks the king to forgive his debt when he can't pay it back.
- After being set free, he refuses to forgive Servant #2 of his debt and has him punished.
- Symbolism - Represents people who want forgiveness when they do something wrong, but are
unwilling to forgive others when they have been offended = hypocrites
Servant #2 (Servant to the Debtor)
- People who aren't forgiven by others even when they are sorry, often causing these people to
feel guilty or hurt.
- Symbolism - Is unable to repay his debt to Servant #1 and is punished for it.
Messages
- Always try to be willing to forgive others when they are sorry as God does.
- Sometimes it takes an experience of asking others or God for forgiveness in order for us to be
more forgiving of others.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)
Character Descriptions:
A) Pharisee:
 Praises himself and thanks God for being better than the other sinners - Pride.
 Brags about fasting and donating money to the Church.
 Prays very loudly and is showing off to the other people
B) Tax Collector:
 Genuinely prays to God for forgiveness and admits his sins.
 Prays very quietly to himself in the corner
 Demonstrates the virtue of humility
Symbolism and Messages
Pharisee
 Represents people who are self-righteous and believe that just because they follow
religious laws and practices they are better than others.
 Hypocrites who don't really have strong faith and don't care for others
 People who may not have committed many sins through their actions but aren't truly
dedicated to their faith. It is shallow because they don't truly care for others
Tax Collector
 Represents people who are truly humble and dedicated to their faith.
 Although they may have committed many sins, they are honestly seeking forgiveness.
Message: Jesus says that it is better to be like the Tax Collector than the Pharisees. This means
that it is more important to have genuine faith and be humble than it is to be someone who
follows all the rules but is self righteous and doesn’t really care for others. Jesus showed that
Pharisees’ attitude was sinful because he was full of pride and judged others.
Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
Character Description:
Father - Asks his sons to go work for him in the vineyard
Symbolism: God who gives us a calling or purpose in life (vocation)
First Son - At first he tells his Father he won't do the work but later he decides to do it
Symbolism: Represents people who were sinful at first but changed to live good lives and had
faith.
Second Son - Tells the Father that he'll do the work but later he doesn't
Symbolism: Represents people who were hypocrites and say they have faith but don't really live
it out.
Message: Actions speak louder than words. How you live and make decisions shows more about
your faith than what you say or believe. Real faith needs to be lived.
Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
Context: Jesus is now in Jerusalem and is speaking to his disciples giving the most important
messages about faith. These are his last teachings before he is arrested.
Characters:
Talents (Money)
- Symbolism: Are God-given abilities and gifts
Master
- Gives people different amounts of talents (money)
- Expects his servants to use their talents wisely to make more.
- Symbolism: Represents God who gives everyone different gifts and abilities and expects us to
use them for good.
First two servants
- Receive 5 and 2 talents
- Invest their talents and make more. They are given greater responsibilities by their master.
Symbolism: Represent people who use their gifts for the good of others and develop them.
Third servant
- receives 1 talent
- Buries the talent and has it taken away by the master.
- Symbolism: people who keep their gifts to themselves and don't use them for good.
Message:
- God gives everyone different abilities and expects us share them.
- Be thankful and satisfied with what you have. If you use and develop your abilities you will
increase and improve them.