New Testament Parables Essay, Research Paper

1. Subject: Fables of Jesus in the Gospels. Mt 13:10-15, Mk 4:10-12, Lk 8:9-10 ( The Purpose of Parables ) ; Mt 13:31-32, Mk 4:30-32, Lk 13:18-19 ( The Parable of the Mustard Seed ) ; Mt 25:14-15 ( The Parable of the Talents ) ; Mk 13:33-37 ( Need for Watchfulness ) ; and Lk 19:12-13 ( The Parable of the Ten Gold Coins ) .

2. Context: The context for Matthew? s fables is that they come right after the subdivision on mounting ill will to Jesus and his mission ( in which Jesus establishes that every one of His followings and who does the will of God is his brother and sister ) and right before more of Jesus? miracles and instructions outside Galilee. In Mark? s Gospel, the preceding is the same, but it is followed by more plants in Galilee. Luke? s fables besides follow the relation of Jesus? plants and miracles. They are followed by His journey to Jerusalem.

3. Relevant Footnotes: Matthew 13:11? A parable is nonliteral address and there is more to it than merely the narrative. One has to reflect on the narrative to understand its significance. God grants the gift to understand to his adherents but non to the crowds. This fulfills Isaiah? s prognostication. Matthew 13:31-33? This illustrates how little the land of God starts out with the sermon and mending ministry of Jesus, and how large it will finally spread out to. Matthew 25:14? The reading is that one who uses his gifts sagely will see the land, but laziness will take to exclusion. Mark 4:11? The ground for Parables, in Marks? position, is so the common man, or discrediting crowd, will non understand the significance and instructions of Christ, but merely his adherents will, who interpret it and can understand because of their religion.

4. Comparison: The intent of the fables is common to the three synoptic Gospels. In all three the same message is conveyed. However, Matthew? s position or reading is much subtler. He does non state that it is Jesus? intent to confound the crowds or maintain the significance hidden. The Parable of the Mustard Seed is the same throughout all three Gospels. The 3rd transitions of each group are so different. The Parable of the Endowments in Matthew tells us that we should utilize our endowments to their full extent to assist others and ourselves. This, and non laziness, will take us into Eden. The Need for Watchfulness in Mark conveys the message that we should ever be ready for the coming of the Father. In other words, we should seek to be sin free at all times, because we do non cognize when it is our clip to travel on to our following life, either in Eden, snake pit, or purgatory. The Parable of the Ten Gold Coins in Luke has similar significance as that of the Parable of the Endowments, but in a different context? gold coins alternatively of endowments. It besides tells about the behavior of faithful and productive retainers.

5. Old Testament Cross-references: Matthe

tungsten 13:14? There is a mention to a prognostication by Isaiah which says, ? You shall so hear but non understand, you shall so look but ne’er see. Gross is the bosom of this people, they will barely hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their bosom and be converted and I heal them. ? Matthew 13:32? this can be traced back to Ezekiel 17:23 which says fundamentally the same thing, ? on the mountain highs of Israel I will works it. It shall set forth subdivisions and bear fruit, and go a olympian cedar. Birds of every sort shall brood beneath it, every winged thing in the shadiness of its boughs. ? A tree of the Lord will stand for a home for His people. Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:9 have the same mention as Matthew to Isaiah. Luke besides has the same mention to Ezekiel as Matthew. The remainder of the transitions have no Old Testament cross-indexs.

6. Comment: Meaning of Parables & # 8212 ; Barclay says that for the significance for the fables, that the Greek word for secret is musteria. This originally meant to the New Testament society, ? something which was unintelligible to the foreigner but crystal clear to the adult male who had been initiated? ( Barclay ) . In other words, Christianity can merely be understood from the interior, through a personal experience. So Jesus spoke in fables because common, foreigner, work forces could non see the truth in any other manner. This was a calculated act of God. There was great desperation felt for all the followings, but religion was the key to long term felicity. Parable of the Mustard Seed? the mustard seed was non the smallest seed in Palestine, but it was epitome of littleness. But at the same clip, this small seed, did turn into something like a tree. The land of God starts as something really little but will stop with the undermentioned and garnering of many states. ? It is a fact of history that the greatest things must ever get down with the smallest beginnings? ( Barclay ) . The Parable of the Talents ( Ten Gold Coins ) ? God says that you can hold no faith without escapade and a shut head is useless. Every adult male is alone in the gifts that he receives. The lone thing that God asks is that these gifts be used to their full extent? one has to at least seek their hardest. The wages of a occupation good done is still more work. If a adult male has a endowment and uses it, his accomplishment will increase. On the contrast, if a adult male has a endowment and does non utilize it, it will go forth him. Be on the Watch? Jesus does non cognize precisely the twenty-four hours of the Second Coming or the terminal of the universe, for some things are still left up to His Father. The parable merely tells us that we should populate in a manner that it does non count when the terminal comes. Everyday we must be ready to run into God face to face, and that life is merely readying for this. Further, we must ne’er go haunted with earthly things and ne’er bury God.