The Parables In The Book Of Matthew

Parables by Matthew

The word parable draws its origin from the Greek word “parabole” which loosely translates to mean “to cast” (bole) some things, related or otherwise “alongside” (para) each other to infer the intended deeper meaning to the target audience. (Unlocking The Prophecy Code). Therefore, it makes sense for a parable to be a comparison of two or more related things that are put together on a parallel that enables proper distinction between them to enhance clarity in teachings such that their hidden meanings get revealed. The book of Matthew presents a variety of parables, with each parable addressing a particular thematic concern enshrined in the religious teachings. Consequently, it is right to postulate that Jesus used parables primarily as teaching aids by incorporating analogies and comparisons of things earthly and those belonging to the heavenly realm. The parable about the shepherd and the parable about the servant, both in chapter 18, show different natures of humankind. While the parable about the shepherd portrays unconditional forgiveness, the parable about the servant portrays justice based forgiveness. Jesus used parables to his disciples as a way to educate them on how important lessons could get overlooked by many people. At some point, Jesus seemed to be limiting his audience when he suggested that, “To His disciples, the kingdom

of heaven was bestowed to them but to the others who dissented his teachings, it was not given. For the one who already had, more would be added to them but to the one who had little or none at all, even that little would be taken away”. He spoke to them in parables because they had eyes but could not see and they had ears but could not hear nor understand (Matt 13:11-13).
The parable is represented in a teaching discourse to the disciples on taking care of “little ones” (Matthew 18:14).

The “little ones” means the young ones and “children” in faith. This leads us to the meaning- never give up on believers who have fallen away. Also, Jesus uses the same parable to his opponents to justify his association with sinners, thereby, evoking a call to

evangelism.
In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus asks a group of tax collecters, Pharisees, and teachers to imagine that they had a hundred sheep and that one of them was strayed. The shepherd would look for the one lost sheep, leaving the other 99 sheep. The theme of unconditional forgiveness stands out in this parable of the lost sheep as told by Jesus to his listeners, so that they could relate to it and understand the significance of the message . At some point, Jesus employed the use of rhetorical questioning in the parable of the lost sheep the answer was meant to be obvious to his listeners. For instance; "What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them got lost, does the shepherd of the flock leave the ninety-nine sheep on the mountain side so as to go in search of the ones that went astray?" (Matthew 18:12). The questioning presented here embodies and promotes the theme of unconditional forgiveness and magnanimity. It shows how caring our God is as opposed to the erroneous notion that God is judgmental of sinners that go astray. Alternatively, the shepherd could symbolize a more humanly figure in the form of religious leaders who are tasked with the responsibility of seeking the “lost sheep” and return them to the worship of God.
The symbolism of the lost sheep represents individuals who have rejected God and strayed (Matthew 18:12). The possible allegorical associations of the sheep with the shepherd point to a more intricate relationship the shepherd has with the sheep and the lost one in particular. It shows a limitless love that abounds between God and his subjects. Towards the end of the parable, Jesus concludes by saying that “the shepherd rejoices in finding the lost sheep. So it is not the will of the heavenly Father that any of his little ones get lost.” The quote indicates great love for humanity by the Savior (Matthew 18:14).
The parable of the lost sheep aims to underline a school of thought that postulates that human beings are inherently good. This ideology is entrenched in the notion of free will, an innate component of every human being. The free will enables people to express their opinions and course of actions they pursue while also ensuring that they bear the consequences of the same actions they undertake. Free will dictate that individuals bear the responsibility for their deeds, whether bad or good. An example is the analogy of the shepherd and the lost sheep. In this scenario, human beings are expected to be compassionate towards others just as Christ is compassionate towards us. As a result, the notion of free will seeks to absolve human beings of being inherently bad or evil.
Jesus told the parable about a forgiving servant to his follower Peter. The Apostle Peter was intrigued and disturbed about the number of times one should forgive the other. According to (Matthew 18:21-22), Jesus answered that, "Not seven times but seventy times seven". This parable is based on the kingdom of heaven. The parable can still be related to up to this day. In comparison, the prevailing theme in this parable is that of the essence of justice based forgiveness, found also in the parable of the lost sheep, although each parable had a different form of forgiveness.
The parable of the unmerciful servant underlines the point where empathy, compassion, and self-sacrifice are artificially acquired characteristics that help to establish the sense of right, hence maturity. Evidently, not everyone reaches maturity as shown by the unforgiving servant in the parable of the unmerciful servant. It seems the unforgiving servant had the innate animalistic instincts to strive, dominate and subjugate his fellow man, to express an astonishing selfishness. The idea of evil presents a complex system of morality that still make people divided on what parameters constitute right or wrong. Lastly, it is crucial to understand that currently there is a transitioning in the society where the levels of permissiveness are on the rise. Everything is becoming morally acceptable because of mankind's overbearing desire to be evil is easily corrupting everything good.

It is imperative to note that the king showed so much pity as to forgive the first servant and cancel his debts. However, this is a stark contrast with the king’s conduct and the conduct of the forgiven but unforgiving servant. Since the king was kind to forgive the first servant, it is expected that the servant would have shown some patience with his fellow servant. Ultimately, the king revokes his initial decision to pardon the unforgiving servant and condemns to imprisonment because of the unforgiving servant’s unjust treatment of his fellow servant. When the king says, "You wicked servant"(Matthew 18:32-33), the hearers of the parable are relieved to learn that eventually, justice got done to the unforgiving servant who had initially received forgiveness but refused to grant it himself.
The servant who was forgiven much, ten thousand talents, refused to forgive another servant who owed him a hundred denarii. The understanding is that, the one who was forgiven much should forgive much and nothing less, hence, the true test of humanity. The principle of forgiveness postulates that grace accorded to another should not get subjected to any limits. Therefore, the disciples were not to count the number of times they forgave but rather to ensure that the mercy they gave others was not limited. The parable teaches that Christians should forgive much because God has forgiven much.
The parables remain very relevant in their application to the current generation of humanity just as they were during the time of Jesus, thousands of years ago. Many lessons and teachings can still be drawn from the messages that the parables were intended to convey, despite the fact that the parables often contain dramatic plots and twists in their ending that catch our attention and drives home the parable's lesson. It must be remembered that the parables provide us with a beautiful insight into the heavenly and spiritual realm through concepts that cannot be merely expressed in words. For example the two parables about the shepherd and the servant in chapter 18. Both provide us with different kinds of human nature. The parable about the shepherd teaches us about unconditional forgiveness while the parable about the servant teaches us about justice based forgiveness. The parables are very important because without proper comprehension and understanding the parables, it is virtually impossible to understand Jesus and his teachings