Parables 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.
Parable of the Great Feast (Luke 14:1-24)
Background: Jesus told this story to a group of Pharisees who invited him to a
dinner.
 They were arguing over who was most important and would sit at the best
seats at the table
 In Jesus’ time, who you ate with at meals was very important.
 People were often judged and associated with the people they dined with.
Symbolism in the Parable of the Great Feast
King
- Invites guests to his feast. When they decline he extends the offer to people who are
vulnerable
- Symbolism: God who invites people to accept him in their lives
Feast
- People are invited to celebrate at the feast.
- Symbolism: Heaven or God's Grace
Servant
- Is sent by the King to deliver the invitation to the people
- Symbolism: Jesus and other people (prophets) sent to bring us God’s love and
message of peace and salvation.
3 Guests
- First group offered to attend the feast but decline for various reasons
- People who refuse God in their lives (can mean all of us at different times)
The Vulnerable - Poor/Sick/Blind/Lame
- Suffering people who accept the invitation to the feast.
- 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 Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
Context:
 A scholar of the Law (Pharisee) tries to trap and confuse Jesus by asking
him a trick question about which is the greatest commandment
 The Jewish people had strict rules about worshipping God at Temple. A
person was not permitted to go to the Temple if they were unclean.
 The Jewish people of Israel looked at Samaritans as if they were 2nd class
citizens. Although they were also Jewish, Samaritans historically had
issues with Israel and there was much tension between the groups.
Character Details
Injured Man
- Gets attacked, seriously injured and left for dead in the beginning of the story.
Priest and Levite
- Religious officials who pass by the injured man so they can attend services at
the Temple.
Good Samaritan
- "2nd class citizen" who stops and helps the injured man and continues to
provide for him.
Innkeeper
- Accepts the injured man into the inn and agrees to help the man recover.
Symbolism
Injured Man
- People who are vulnerable and are suffering. This may not just be from
physical harm but for a variety of reasons.
Priest/Levite
- People who claim to be religious but care more about following the rules then
they actually do about others. Priorities are mixed up and are hypocrites.
Good Samaritan
- People who may be looked down upon by others for various reasons based on
things like social status, background, ethnicity, religion, etc... but are actually
good people based on their actions.
Innkeeper
- People who are willing to help others even when it is inconvenient for them.
Messages
1) "Loving God with all your mind, soul, heart and strength" is the same thing as
"loving your neighbor as yourself." You can't treat God one way and other
people another way otherwise you're not really caring for God.
2) The purpose of religious rules and laws is to help people more caring of
others. These rules should not take the place of caring for others.
3) Sometimes people who are thought to be inferior based on social status are
the ones who turn out to be very good. Don't define or judge people based on
their status or background.
4) Your neighbor refers to any person. It is especially important to care for others
even who you don't know or may be enemies with. Love is also not limited by
convenience. You should be able to help someone even if it doesn't fit into your
schedule.
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
(Matthew 18:21-35)
Background: The story is a response to a question that Jesus’ disciple Peter
asks, "How often must I forgive
someone?"
Symbolism and Messages
Money
- Represents sins committed against another person or God
King – Forgives the first servant of his debt.
- Represents God who is all forgiving.
Servant #1 – Owes the king a very large debt but begs him to be excused. After
the king lets him off, he goes to his servant who owes him money but does not
excuse him of his debt and throws him into jail.
- Represents people who want forgiveness when they do something wrong, but
are unwilling to forgive others when they have been offended = hypocrites
Servant #2 – Owes servant 1 a smaller debt but isn’t forgiven and is thrown into
jail.
- Represents people who aren't forgiven by others even when they are sorry.
Message: Always be willing to forgive others when they are sorry as God
does.
If God is willing to always forgive you no matter how badly you have sinned
against him than you should do the same for others.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
(Luke 18:9-14)
Jesus addresses this story to the Pharisees. What do you know about the
Pharisees?
 They are of the higher class in Jewish society.
 They strictly followed the religious rules and laws.
 Many people looked up to them as good people and being favored by God.
 Had a tendency to look down on others and judge them.
How each character worships in the story:
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
 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 but aren't truly dedicated to
their faith. It is shallow because they don't truly care for others
Tax Collector
 People 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. Although most people thought that the Pharisees were good and
tried to be like them, Jesus showed that their attitude was sinful because many
were full of pride and judged others. Although many of the tax collectors
committed serious sins in their lives, they recognized their mistakes and were
serious and humble in asking God for forgiveness and trying to become better
people.
Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7)
Context: Jesus is telling the story to a group of tax collectors and sinners. Many
of the Pharisees around complain about Jesus spending time with that group.
Sheep - Represent people
Lost Sheep - Represents people who sin and turn away from God and the
community.
Shepherd - Represents God and who wants to welcome back the lost ones
(sinners) and goes out of his way to reach out to extend his love.
Message: God always reaches out to us no matter how badly we sin. God is
more pleased with people who are willing to repent after sinning than people who
may not have committed many sins at all and don't think they need God.
Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
Context: Jesus is being questioned by the Pharisees about his authority. He tells
the story as a response to show them what it means to have faith.
Father
- Asks his sons to go work in the vineyard.
- Represents God who gives us a calling or purpose in life.
First Son
- Tells the father yes but doesn't do the work
- Represents hypocrites and people who say that they have faith but don't
actually live it out.
Second Son
- Tells the father no but later does do the work
- Represents people who were sinful but eventually had real faith and lived good
lives.
Message: Actions speak louder than words. Real faith is lived and shown
through actions.
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:
Master
- Gives people different amounts of talents (money)
- Expects his servants to use their talents wisely to make more.
First two servants
- Receive 5 and 2 talents
- Invest their talents and make more. They are given greater responsibilities by
their master.
Third servant
- receives 1 talent
- Buries the talent and has it taken away by the master.
Symbolism and Messages
Master
- Represents God who gives everyone different gifts and abilities and expects us
to use them for good.
Talents
- Are God-given abilities and gifts
Servants 1 and 2
- Represent people who use their gifts for the good of others and develop them.
Servant 3
- Represents people who keep their gifts to themselves and don't use them for
good. Why would people do this?
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.
Parable of the Sower
Sower - represents God who plants his "seeds" in each person
Seeds - God's word or grace
Different kinds of soil - people and how they respond to God's word
Seeds on the path - get eaten up by the birds and don't grow at all
- Represents people who instantly reject God's word and aren't open to him at all.
Seeds on the rocky soil - Start to grow but roots don't take hold and dies out.
- Represents people who accept God's word at first but don't really live it out
because it's too challenging. People who are hypocrites.
Seeds by the thorn bushes - Start to grow but eventually get choked out by the
thorn bushes.
- Represents people who start to live out their faith but eventually stop because
God's word is not a high enough priority and people get distracted with other
things.
Seeds in the good soil - Successfully grow and produce much grain.
Represents people who do live out God's word and have faith.
Main messages
- People are called to live out God's word and develop their faith. It should be a
real part of a person's life and make a difference.
- People often don't prioritize faith and put up barriers between themselves and
God. Faith has to be a priority to be successful.
Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
Context: The story teaches a message about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Difference between being equal and being fair
equal = everyone gets the same
fair = everyone gets what they need, what is best suited for them
Character Descriptions
Owner
- Goes out and recruits people to work in the vineyard
Early Workers
- Work for a full day or most of the day
Later Workers
- Only work for a few hours
Symbolism
Owner
represents God who wants people to "work in his vineyard."
Working in the Vineyard
- Being a disciple, living out God's word
Silver coin/payment
- God's grace/going to heaven
Early Workers
- People who have lived out their faith and been disciples for much of their
lives. Sometimes they have the tendency to get jealous of others who
haven't been as faithful.
Later Workers
- People who haven't been faithful and/or have been sinful for much of their
lives and only later on have accepted God's grace and lived out their
faith.
Messages
1) Although God is open to all throughout life, people come to accept God at
different times in life. Some people are faithful disciples for most of life,
others for part of their lives, and some for only a very short time.
2) God loves all people equally no matter how open they have been to him and
wants all to be with him in heaven. In the story God invites the last group of
workers first because he knows they need him the most. All people receive
God's love. It is not a reward to go to heaven or be with God, it is a gift given
by him to all people no matter what we do.
3) There is no real external reward for being a good person. Why should we
bother to be good if we know that God will love us the same anyway? The
point of being a good person is that we can truly care for other people and God,
and that this is the only thing that really brings us happiness. We won't accept
God's love if we aren't good.
4) God's understanding of fairness can seem very different than ours. The
earliest workers shouldn't be jealous since doing God's work in not a
competition to see who is given more in the end. Fairness is not the same as
equality. God gives his grace to all people no matter how they live. If the
earliest workers were really good people than they would be happy for the later
workers and welcome them.
Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46)
Symbolism:
Owner - God who gives us life and tries to help us live good lives
Tenants - Pharisees and people who reject God despite his efforts to help
Servants (Slaves) - People sent by God like prophets to help the people
understand God's messages.
Son - Jesus who was sent as the ultimate gift of God to show us how to live
Messages:
Jesus is trying to show the Pharisees that they are the ones who are truly
rejecting God and offers to help by persecuting anyone who thinks differently
then them. Despite his rejection, Jesus will be the one who will be the
foundation of the true faith.