Biographical Sketch of the Author
Simon J. Kistemaker was a renowned Biblical New Testament scholar. He started to work as a New Testament professor in Reformed Theological Seminary from 1971, wrote numerous books that helps countless ministers and Biblical students to obtain better understanding on the New Testament. One of his greatest achievement that he made are the editing of the New Testament Commentary which is in total of 12 volumes. It is unfortunate for me to find out that he went back to our father less than one month ago.
Summary of Contents
Apparently our Lord Jesus instructed and taught His disciples and His people, using many parables during His ministry so that He could let His people have better comprehension as to the mysteries
In today’s world people make a common mistake by making comparisons with the Bible and Aesop’s Fables. In the Bible it is important to which is emphasized more, law or grace. It is just as important to do the same in Aesop’s Fables. Very often a mistake is easily made in reading Jesus’s Parables. Understanding the emphasis of law and grace in both the Bible and Aesop’s Fables and realizing mistakes we make with reading Jesus’s parables can help with reading the parables
The parables were short simple stories/analogies that illustrated spiritual and moral lessons. They connected to the listeners’ lives, showed Jesus’ “voice” incorporated glimpses of the Kingdom of God, since it was easier for people to understand concepts that they can relate to. For example, he used topics of everyday life like the mustard seed appealing to farmers; yeast
The gospels may differ from one to the next but they still all carry the same basic message and considering that the writers were all speaking to unique and separate audiences. This enabled at that time, many different groups of people to relate to Jesus' universal theme. The people at that time might not have been totally united in religion or politics therefore having a personalized version of the gospel allowed them to understand how God was communicating directing with them.
Through the use of the second parable, Tan shows how they use parables to teach kids to
Parables are stories written in the Bible for truth and life guidance. We have to understand that parables are implied by God to encourage his written word and carry his truths. God’s words can touch a heart of faith despite their external circumstance. The history of parables started with Jesus writing “the sower and the seed” in the book of Matthew. The sower and the seed was the seed is “the word.” The hard ground represents the person who is hardened by sin. Parables date back as far as
1. Jesus is using what is known as the “Socratic method” of teaching, using question and answer. It was not for the teacher to quiz
The Gospels indicate the disciples asking Jesus why he spoke in parables; “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” Jesus replies, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them”. He continues, “This is why I speak to them in parables:
In President Monson talk he talks about how to communicate. This made me think on why he would be giving a talk about this. As I was able to read thru his talk I was able to get my answer in so many ways. He talks about how Jesus when he would talk to people that he would do it in parables. His disciples asked him why, and this was his answer saying “because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” This made me think. He goes on and speaks and explains even more why Jesus used parables and this is what he said he used parables, to “conveyed to the hearer religious truth exactly in proportion to the hearer’s faith and intelligence.” Then he say that “the parable is suited alike
In all his teaching to the crowds Jesus spoke in parables; in fact he never spoke to them without a parable. This was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: I will open my mouth in parables;
Parables are interesting and enlightening pieces of Scripture that call us to action. Fee and Stuart (2014) in their chapter The Parables: Do you get the Point? give sound guidelines for understanding and interpreting these pieces of Scripture. Knowing this we can understand the parables better, why Jesus used them and how it increases our understanding.
The story beings from the book of Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. Chapter 5 starts with Jesus teaching from the Old Testament writings. “And seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain, and when he was seated, his disciples came to him,
A parable is a “simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.” Parables are a form of teaching in Judaism, this is where Jesus made it a point in his ministry to gather common things that could be familiar to everyone and anyone who was wiling to hear him speak, for example bread and sheep. He made sure that the meaning of what was said was very clear in the context of His teachings. Parables in other words are an “earthly form of stories with heavenly meaning”. In Matthew (13: 13) Jesus says “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” This quote can be seen as Jesus’ way of communicating with his disciples, because many of them could not fully comprehend his teachings and what was being spoken. Another reason why He spoke in parables was so that “…unbelievers would be without comprehension”. Only those who were willing to follow Him and allow Him into their hearts, trusting in Him would understand His ways. His main deal was to be able to teach people, and hopefully in teaching them they would learn an d pass down what was taught to others. Just like in our society now and when it comes to books, magazines, etc Jesus used such things as words, pictures, and stories to help everyone learn and understand things in a certain way, because everyone learns differently he took that into consideration.
The direct teachings of Jesus give instructions of how to live as Christians and the Parables were used in the Gospel to immediately confront us with a truth and evoke a change. (Fee & Stuart,2003, p. 152). The five major discourses of Matthew’s Gospel are centred around five lengthy Sermons using parables to make a point and call the people to make a change.
Another reason for Jesus teaching in parables is identified as Jesus knowing the best way to capture his audience, make them think deeply about what he has just said and then remember his teaching.
During Jesus’ life he was teaching in many different ways one of them was telling the parables. Parable is an earthly story with the heavenly meaning. That means that Jesus was making up a story in which there would be a real people, working of doing something that was common at that times. Sometimes he used the values whether material or spiritual, that were valuable in old times. So he was making everything to make the story look more realistic. But under the close of the poor man or woman and under the animal or a subject there was always something mach more complicated, something about his father, himself, and the people that were following the God or not.