Springs Of Life Bible Church - The Parables of Jesus

		The Parables of Jesus

Introduction to the Parables(from the first session in this series):

A parable is a verbal picture drawn from life or nature which captures our interest and causes us to think deeply about what exactly it means for our lives. Parables are not fables or allegories; they are never removed from reality: “This is how it is.” They tell it like it is, true to fact, they never relate to a dream world or fiction; they are taken from examples of every day life, from the world in which Jesus lived. In His parables, Jesus used many metaphors, such as a king, servants, and virgins, but these are never removed from reality. They never relate to a world of fantasy or fiction. Though it is generally true that a parable teaches only one basic lesson, this rule should not be pressed too far. Some of Jesus’ parables are complex in comparison(for example, the parable of the seed and soils). The parables show that Jesus was fully acquainted with human life and he rubbed shoulders with many different people from many different walks of life. Jesus uses these experiences to teach truth about the kingdom, salvation, wisdom and folly, the Christian life, and judgment. A kingdom parable is a dramatic form of theological language that compels us to make a response, because it reveals the nature of the Kingdom of God: how to enter the Kingdom and how a child of the Kingdom should act.