“A parable is not an allegory an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning but an allegory has to be read and studied a parable is heard. We can get into trouble by expecting that they be intricate systems of theology, with the smallest detail revealing hidden truths. Parables generally teach one main point or principle. Second, upon their minds, to put them upon studying the meaning of what they heard so delivered.” (Poole) “It had a double advantage upon their hearers: first, upon their memory, we being very apt to remember stories. Matthew uses it for instance for Jesus’ cryptic saying about defilement ( Matthew 15:10-11, 15), and in Matthew 24:32 (‘lesson’) it indicates a comparison.” (France) “The Greek parabole is wider than our ‘parable’ in the LXX it translates masal, which includes proverbs, riddles and wise sayings as well as parables. Parables have been called “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.” Then He spoke many things to them in parables: The idea behind the word parable is “to throw alongside of.” It is a story thrown alongside the truth intended to teach. “The teacher sat, and the people stood: we should have less sleeping in congregations if this arrangement still prevailed.” (Spurgeon)ī. “When the doors of the synagogue were closed against him, he took to the temple of the open air, and taught men in the village streets, and on the roads, and by the lake-side, and in their own homes.” (Barclay) We can imagine some critic saying, “You can’t do that! Teaching belongs in the synagogue or in some other appropriate place.” It would be easy to come up with objections: “The damp air might make people sick” or “There are a lot of mosquitoes down at the shore” or “Someone might drown.” But Jesus knew that teaching from a boat suited His purposes well enough. When Jesus taught from a boat, surely that was a new thing. It gave Him a place to speak, away from the press of the crowds, provided good acoustics, and probably a nice backdrop. He got into a boat and sat: Jesus sometimes used a boat as His “pulpit” ( Mark 4:1). Then He spoke many things to them in parables,Ī. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shore. On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

( Matthew 13:1-3a) Jesus teaches with parables.

Bible study notes on matthew