Parables - Wisdom for LifeSample

Jesus was one of the greatest storytellers. When we read through the gospels, we see Jesus sharing stories with His disciples and followers. They weren’t just any stories. They weren’t “once upon a time stories” about princesses and knights in shining armour. They weren’t stories about slaying dragons or chasing golden rings. The stories Jesus told were short and simple but had a profound spiritual meaning. These stories are called parables.

Why did Jesus use parables? Even the disciples asked that question! Jesus used parables to help those who truly wanted to know a new way of living, explaining the mysteries of His kingdom through stories everyday people could understand. The kingdom of God is so different from how the world works. In the kingdom of God, the last are first, the poor are rich, and the humble are blessed. To those outside of the kingdom, it doesn’t make sense.

Jesus often used parables to teach, and when His disciples still didn’t understand, He would explain what the story meant so they could learn and put into practice all that He was teaching.