Before we began, I said that Jesus never told the crowds the meanings of his parables. While that's completely true, there were usually context clues based on the conversations he was having. Jesus didn't just gather everyone around the campfire to tell them the Parable of the Good Samaritan out of nowhere.
It all began with a religious leader asking about a law. It's important to know that many religious leaders of the day were more comparable to modern day lawyers than priests or pastors. It was their job to know all the religious laws and interpret what they meant for real life situations. These leaders would have debates about what the exact wording of these religious laws really meant. The better you were at debating, the more popular you were.
On this day, a religious leader was basically pushing Jesus for a debate in front of a large crowd. He brought up a law that Jesus talked about frequently: Love your neighbour as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18) Then the leader asked the million-dollar question. "Who is my neighbor?" Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the question. This leader is trying to tear open a core issue that people fight to this day. He was basically asking what are your thoughts on Government healthcare? Social Security? Immigration? Not such an innocent question now, is it?
This is the environment where parables are created - stories that let you see the world from a different angle. That's been my goal.
I've tried my best to provide enough context in each of the twelve stories that you've read, but it's very difficult to know when you've provided enough clues without just giving away the secret. So I'll give you one last hint at how I wrote these stories.
CHIASTIC STRUCTURE:
The Parable of the Good Samaritan - Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 5: 46-47
The Parable of the Quiet Banquet Hall - Psalm 22:1-2
The Parable of the Warten Watch - Luke 9:25
The Parable of the #weddingoftheyear - Ephesians 5:25-27
The Parable of the Raven Research - Job 38
The Parable of the Angel's Visit - Luke 18:19
The Parable of the Perfect Place - Psalm 84:10
The Parable of the Poisonous Snake Test - Philippians 4:8
The Parable of the Heavenly Championship - Isaiah 65:17-18
The Parable of the Time Traveler - John 14:6
The Parable of the Shoemaker - 1 John 4:12
The Parable of the Reunion - Matthew 24:14
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New Parables to Ponder: 12 Stories to Spark Spiritual Questions
SpiritualI will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. -from a prophecy in the songs of Asaph ***** Jesus is famous for teaching with parables, earthly stories with heavenly meanings...
