What about the landowner who went away, entrusted his wealth to his servants, and upon his return, demanded that they multiply what he had given them (Luke 19)?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nI have mentioned only a few parables told by Jesus, but the Master used at least 44 parables in his teachings (considering those recorded in the Gospels). The stories in these parables are not accounts of actual events. If they were, they would not be “parables<\/mark>” but reports of events that truly occurred. This does not mean that similar stories have never happened. It is possible that someone could have created a parable based on a real event. However, for the most part, parables are based on situations, ideas, and themes familiar to their audience. People often adapt them by adding or omitting details to better convey the lessons or messages they want to teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJesus used parables to teach many valuable lessons to his listeners. In each situation, he used a parable to communicate his teachings. Although he used many parables, they are not exclusive to him. In the Scriptures, we can find other parables used by people in the past, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Parable to Jotham:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\nJudges 9:7-15 – “And when he had told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hear me, ye men of Shechem, and God will hear you: for the trees went to anoint themselves a king<\/strong>, and they said unto the olive tree<\/strong>, Reign thou over us. And the olive tree said unto them<\/strong>, Shall I leave my fatness<\/strong>, which God and men prize in me, and go to wave over the trees? Then said the trees unto the fig tree<\/strong>, Come thou, reign over us. And the fig tree said unto them, Shall I leave my sweetness, my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees? Then said the trees unto the vine<\/strong>, Come thou, reign over us. And the vine said unto them, Shall I leave my wine, which maketh glad God and men, and go to wave over the trees? Then said all the trees unto the thornbush<\/strong>, Come thou, reign over us. And the bramble said to the trees<\/strong>, If indeed you anoint me king over you<\/strong>, then come and put your trust in my shadow: but if not, then let fire come out of the bramble,<\/strong> and devour the cedars of Lebanon<\/mark>“<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe Parable of the Vineyard of Israel:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\nIsaiah 5:1-7 – “Now I will sing to my beloved the song of my beloved concerning his vineyard. My beloved<\/strong> has a vineyard on a fertile hill<\/strong>. And he has fenced it<\/strong>, cleared it of stones<\/strong>, and planted it with choice vines<\/strong>. He has built a tower in the middle of it<\/strong> and also dug a winepress<\/strong> in it. He expected it to yield good grapes<\/strong>, but it yielded wild grapes<\/strong>. Now therefore, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done to it? Why, when I expected it to yield good grapes, has it yielded wild grapes? Now therefore I will show you what I will do to my vineyard<\/strong>: I will take away its hedge, and it will be used for pasture; I will break down its wall<\/strong>, and it will be trampled under foot; I will make it a wasteland<\/strong>; it will not be pruned or dug up; but briers and thorns will grow in it<\/strong>. and I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it<\/strong>. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel<\/strong>, and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant<\/strong>. He looked for justice, but here was oppression<\/strong>; for righteousness<\/strong>, but here was a cry<\/strong><\/mark>“<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nBoth of the parables mentioned above were told by people in ancient times, centuries before the birth of Jesus. Prophets used parables to convey their messages. Although they did not use them as frequently as Jesus did, they still employed them to teach lessons and communicate important messages to the people of their time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Characteristics of Parables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Notice that in Jotham’s parable, the trees seek a king for themselves. They talk among themselves in search of another tree to rule over them. They first ask the olive tree, then the fig tree, and then the vine, but all refuse. Finally, the trees turn to the thornbush and ask if it wants to become their king. The thornbush accepts but warns that if the trees do not trust in its shade, fire could come from it and consume all the cedars of Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the parable of Israel’s vineyard, someone tells the story of the “beloved<\/mark>“, who planted a vineyard and cared for it. However, instead of producing good grapes, it yielded wild grapes. In this parable, God, speaking through the prophet, asks His people what should be done with His vineyard. He then answers His own question, declaring that He will destroy the vineyard because it has not produced the expected fruit. He applies the lesson of the parable to the behavior of His people, Israel and Judah.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn both cases, the parables introduce real elements familiar to the people of that time. Everyone knew about trees, olive trees, fig trees, vines, and thorns. However, an unusual element is added to the parable-the trees are given “life<\/mark>” and begin to talk among themselves, even searching for a tree to rule over them! This altered reality also appears in the parable of Israel’s vineyard. It was common for people to cultivate vineyards, but in the parable, a “fertile hill<\/mark>” is destroyed because of the presence of “wild grapes<\/mark>“. These modifications serve to communicate a specific message and help the people understand its meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n