The parables that Jesus told were not just for those whom he personally taught. His parables are part of his gospel and are therefore for all peoples throughout all nations and throughout all time. When he said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mrk 16:15) he had already presented the gospel in a form that suits that great commission. .

In this lesson we study the timeless and cross-cultural nature of the parables. Christ's mastery of the parable will be even better appreciated when we consider how carefully he crafted his stories to make them appropriate far into the future and accross the whole wide world.

Lessons for the Future

Consider the parables we have noticed briefly in previous lessons, stories such as the unforgiving slave, the sower and the seed, the ten virgins, the houses on rock and sand. These parables are vivid, unforgettable, and disarmingly simple. They implant the word of truth firmly in the hearer's mind. Jesus had to sometimes explain his parables, but once explained they succeeded in teaching a lesson forcibly.

Furthermore, Jesus crafted his parables in such a way that they would remain effective even when carried far beyond his own teaching environment into the future. They became an important part of the scriptures, so that they could be retold all around the world and all through the centuries. They were truly lessons for the future, and have, through 2000 years, provided many a study group and many an individual seeker with insights that enable them to embrace the kingdom of heaven and eternal life.

The parable of the Good Samaritan (Lke 10:30-37) is typical of the timeless quality of Jesus's parables. Although for us it is clearly a story set in another place and another time, it is a story to which we can easily relate. Most of Christ's parables are like that. They are robust travellers through the passage of time.

Cross-cultural stories

Jesus, in most of his parables, chose settings from his own culture, however because he spoke in simple terms of things such as family, farming, fishing, building, finance, banquets and celebrations, the stories translate to most cultures without loss of impact.

Even when cultural differences are noticeable, the impact of the story can actually be strengthened. Because the story is somewhat exotic to them, people may well find it more colourful and interesting than a story set in their own culture.

Arguably the most culturally specific parable that Jesus told is the one about the ten virgins which we noted in a previous lesson (Mtt 25:1-13). Even people whose marriage customs are quite different to those in the parable, have no trouble relating to the attitude and subsequent predicament of the foolish girls in the story.

Stories About Human Nature

If you are looking for a good reason why Jesus's parables travel so well across the centuries and accross varied cultures, you don't have to look very hard. Most of the parables strongly reflect human nature, and human nature doesn't change.

The people who are the characters in Christ's parables are recognisable in any cuture and in any era, because although culture differs, character does not. In any culture, a liar is still a liar and a cheat still a cheat. A hypocrite is still a hypocrite, and a fool is still a fool. On the other hand, a kind person is still kind, a humble person still humble, a genuine person still genuine. Indeed, if we dare to look into the parables of Jesus, we will surely recognise ourselves there somewhere.

People have not changed, and the parables prove it. The rebellious and headstrong prodigal son, the cunning and shifty steward, the battling and courageous widow, the selfish and unthinking rich man, the penitent tax collector and the arrogant clergyman, the timid and unfruitful servant --don't you and I know such people in our very own neighbourhood today?

Jesus was a student of human nature. He understood how people tick. He knew how to highlight our strengths and weaknesses, and how to both encourage our strengths and overcome our weaknesses. Jesus showed, in his parables, how to bring out the best in human nature and save us forever from the worst.

Note for example, the characters portrayed in the parable of the prodigal son...

Stories To Tell our Children

How old were you when you first heard and understood a parable of Jesus?  I was four or five. My grandaddy took me in his horse and jinker down a country road to a tiny Sunday School. There a lady told the story of the wise man who built his house on a rock, and the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. She illustrated the story with wooden blocks, in a sand pit. She may have used a brick for the rock, and a bucket of water for the flood, I cannot remember. But I remember the chorus she taught us, "Build on the rock and not upon the sands" and I know I understood, and have never forgotten, her explanation of the parable. It was childishly simple, yet praise the Lord it still guides my life 60 years later. It is true of almost every parable that Jesus told, that a child of four or five could understand both the content and moral of the story.

Would anyone argue that this characteristic of the parables is an accident, that it was not one of Christ's designs when he spoke in parables? If the gospel is going to be effective, it must be presentable to children so it can capture their hearts before the devil does. One who "causes one of these little ones to stumble..." is condemned to hell (Mtt 18:1-7). If we would rather help these little ones to walk with God, can we do better than tell to them the stories of Jesus, not only the stories of his life but the stories that he told when he spoke in parables.

The parable of the sprouting seed (Mrk 4:26-29) is typical. How easy it is to tell this parable to a child, and actually let the child plant some bean or sunflower seeds in a pot or patch. Then let the child wait and watch day by day to see them sprout and grow, and wonder how. How easy to tell the child that God makes them grow, and likewise God's word is like a seed that grows in our hearts to make us good. Blessed is the little one for whom someone does this.

Home | Topics | List | Next