Religion 25: Parables

Summary

The video script explores the significance of parables in Jesus's teachings, emphasizing their role in conveying the kingdom of heaven's message of unconditional love and societal unity. It delves into the parables' three-part structure: a vivid picture, a grounded reality, and a meaningful comparison. The script highlights Jesus's countercultural approach, challenging norms and norms, and urges viewers to engage deeply with scripture, allowing its teachings to evolve and grow within them.

Takeaways

• 📖 The script discusses the significance of parables in teaching, particularly in the context of Jesus' ministry.
• 🛑 The mission of Jesus, as understood through the script, is to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, emphasizing love and repentance.
• 💡 Parables are a unique way of teaching that often involves a beautiful picture, a connection to reality, and a surprising twist or message.
• 👉 Jesus' teachings, including parables, were counter-cultural and often challenged the societal norms of his time.
• 📜 The script references Saint Paul's letter to the Galatians to illustrate the concept of the kingdom of God, highlighting qualities like love, joy, peace, and self-control.
• 🕊 The greatest commandment, according to Jesus, is to love God and love your neighbor, which encompasses all the ten commandments.
• 🌱 Parables are meant to grow with the reader, evolving as one's understanding and relationship with scripture deepens.
• 📚 Understanding parables requires historical context, as Jesus' stories were rooted in the realities of first-century Palestine.
• 👶 The script uses the example of 'I Love You Forever' to illustrate how a children's story can also serve as a powerful parable with deeper meaning.
• 🔄 The parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Lost Son are highlighted to show how Jesus used stories to convey messages of unconditional love and forgiveness.
• 🌟 The teachings of Jesus, as portrayed in the script, encourage believers to see the world with hope, patience, joy, and love, despite the challenges of living in a counter-cultural way.

Q & A

What are parables according to the script?

Parables are a unique way of teaching that often involves a story or comparison to convey a deeper message or moral, commonly associated with the teachings of Jesus.

What was the mission of Jesus as mentioned in the script?

The mission of Jesus was to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, emphasizing the importance of repentance and demonstrating the unconditional love of God.

What are the fruits of the Spirit as described in the script?

The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, as explained in the letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians.

What is the greatest commandment according to Jesus in the script?

The greatest commandment, according to Jesus, is to love God and love your neighbor, which encompasses all the ten commandments.

How does the script describe the role of parables in Jesus's teachings?

Parables play a significant role in Jesus's teachings by providing a visual and relatable context to complex spiritual concepts, often challenging societal norms and norms of the culture at the time.

What are the three parts of a parable as mentioned in the script?

The three parts of a parable are a beautiful picture or visualization, a reality rooted in the context of the audience, and a comparison or twist that brings the message home.

How does the script relate parables to children's stories?

The script suggests that children's stories can serve as parables by providing a simple and relatable narrative that carries a deeper, often moral, message.

What is the significance of the 'Good Samaritan' parable in the script?

The 'Good Samaritan' parable is significant because it challenges the cultural norms of the time by making a person who was typically frowned upon, the Samaritan, the hero of the story, demonstrating the message of unconditional love and compassion.

What is the 'Parable of the Lost Son' and what does it teach us according to the script?

The 'Parable of the Lost Son' is a story about a younger son who squanders his inheritance and returns home in disgrace, only to be welcomed back with open arms by his father. It teaches us about the radical and unconditional love of God.

How does the script suggest we should approach reading and understanding parables?

The script suggests that we should approach parables by understanding the picture, the reality of the context in which they were told, and the message they convey, allowing them to grow in our hearts and minds over time.

What is the mission and vision of Christ according to the script?

The mission and vision of Christ, as per the script, is to bring the kingdom of heaven on earth as it is in heaven, emphasizing love, hope, joy, peace, and forgiveness, and challenging us to love God and our neighbors.

Outlines

00:00

📖 The Power of Parables in Teaching

This paragraph introduces the concept of parables as a unique teaching method associated with Jesus. It discusses how Jesus' mission was to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, emphasizing love and unity. The summary explains the importance of understanding Jesus' first words, 'repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,' and how parables serve to break down societal barriers. It also touches on the importance of the Holy Spirit's role in conveying the message of the kingdom, as explained through Saint Paul's letter to the Galatians, highlighting the fruits of the spirit.

05:00

🎨 The Structure and Impact of Parables

The paragraph delves into the three-part structure of a parable: a vivid picture, a connection to reality, and a meaningful comparison. It emphasizes the need for parables to resonate with the audience's reality, using the example of teaching complex ideas through relatable stories. The summary also discusses the counter-cultural nature of Jesus' teachings and how parables often contain a twist that leads to an 'aha' moment, challenging the听众's preconceived notions and societal norms.

10:01

👶 The Timeless Nature of Parables

This paragraph explores the enduring relevance of parables, using the example of a children's book to illustrate how parables can have a deeper, often unexpected, meaning. The summary explains how the story of a mother's unconditional love for her child, which on the surface seems simple, actually carries a profound message of loss and enduring connection after the author's personal tragedy. It highlights the importance of understanding the context and deeper meanings behind parables.

15:03

🔍 The Cultural Significance of Parables

The paragraph examines the cultural context of parables, particularly the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Lost Son. The summary discusses how these stories challenge societal norms and expectations, using the Good Samaritan as an example of how Jesus turned societal expectations upside down by making a marginalized figure the hero. It also describes the shock value and counter-cultural message of the Lost Son's story, where a prodigal child is welcomed back with open arms, contrary to the听众's expectations.

20:04

🕊️ Embracing Jesus' Radical Love Through Parables

The final paragraph reflects on the radical and counter-cultural nature of Jesus' love as depicted in his parables. The summary emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context to grasp the full impact of Jesus' teachings. It concludes by encouraging the audience to engage with scripture and allow the parables to grow within them, leading to the discovery of hope, patience, joy, and love, as expressed in Saint Paul's letter to the Galatians.

Keywords

💡parables

Parables are short allegorical stories used to convey a moral or spiritual lesson. In the context of the video, parables are synonymous with Jesus' method of teaching, which often involves creating a vivid picture or scenario to illustrate complex spiritual concepts. For example, the script mentions the 'Good Samaritan' and the 'Lost Son' parables, which are used to teach about love, compassion, and forgiveness.

💡mission of Jesus

The mission of Jesus, as discussed in the video, is to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, emphasizing the importance of love, repentance, and living as it is in heaven. The video references the first words of Jesus, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,' indicating the urgency and centrality of this mission in his teachings.

💡kingdom of heaven

The kingdom of heaven is a central theme in the teachings of Jesus, representing a state of existence where God's will is done. The video explains that the kingdom is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, and self-control, and is in contrast to negative behaviors like rage and selfish ambition.

💡Saint Paul

Saint Paul is referenced in the video as an important figure who contributed to the understanding of the kingdom of God. His letter to the Galatians is cited to explain the characteristics of the kingdom, emphasizing the positive attributes that believers should embody, such as love and faithfulness.

💡fruit of the Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit is a biblical concept that lists the qualities that are the result of the Holy Spirit's work in the life of a believer. In the video, these qualities are contrasted with negative behaviors to illustrate the essence of the kingdom of God, including love, joy, peace, kindness, and self-control.

💡greatest commandment

The greatest commandment, as mentioned in the video, is Jesus' response to a question about which of the Ten Commandments is the most important. Jesus states that it is to love God and love your neighbor, which encompasses all other commandments and is a central theme in his teachings.

💡counter-culture

Counter-culture refers to ideas, behaviors, and social movements that oppose the mainstream cultural norms. In the video, Jesus is described as a counter-culture figure because his teachings challenged the societal norms of his time, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan, which subverted expectations about who should be considered a neighbor.

💡radical love

Radical love, as discussed in the video, is the profound and unconditional love that Jesus demonstrated and taught about. It is characterized by acceptance and forgiveness, even for those who are considered outcasts or sinners, as illustrated in the parable of the Lost Son.

💡repentance

Repentance is the act of feeling regret or remorse for one's wrongdoings and seeking to amend one's behavior. The video emphasizes repentance as a key aspect of Jesus' mission, calling for individuals to turn away from sin and towards the kingdom of heaven.

💡exegesis

Exegesis is the critical interpretation and analysis of a text, particularly religious texts. The video mentions exegesis in the context of engaging with parables and scripture, suggesting that understanding these texts should evolve as individuals grow in their spiritual journey.

💡societal walls

Societal walls refer to the barriers or divisions within society, often based on factors like race, class, or religion. The video discusses how Jesus' parables often aimed to break down these walls, promoting unity and inclusiveness, as seen in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Highlights

Parables as a unique teaching method synonymous with Jesus.

Jesus's mission to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, emphasizing love and repentance.

Importance of the first words of important people, highlighting Jesus's call to 'repent'.

Conceptualizing the kingdom of God through Saint Paul's letter to the Galatians, focusing on the fruit of the Spirit.

Parables as tools for breaking down societal walls and challenging norms.

Jesus's teachings on the greatest commandment: to love God and love your neighbor.

The evolution of understanding parables as personal growth and relationship with scripture.

Three parts of a parable: a beautiful picture, reality rooted in the audience's context, and a meaningful comparison.

Challenge of interpreting parables in the modern context, distant from first-century Palestine.

Jesus's counter-cultural approach to teaching, often in contrast to societal expectations.

The importance of recognizing the radical and unconditional love of God as depicted in parables.

Using children's stories as an analogy for understanding the depth of parables.

The story of 'I Love You Forever' as an example of a parable with a deeper, personal meaning.

The parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of Jesus's counter-cultural storytelling.

The parable of the Lost Son, illustrating God's unconditional love and forgiveness.

The controversy and impact of Jesus's parables in their original cultural context.

The mission and vision of Christ to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth through love and acceptance.

The necessity of engaging with scripture and parables to grow in understanding and love.

Transcripts

hello everyone

uh and uh today's lesson is uh one that

uh

is kind of synonymous with jesus when

you when you say

jesus you think of uh parables uh

parables are

a very unique uh way of teaching

um and so far up to this point in the

course

we've talked about what was jesus's

mission right the first words of

important people

are important and so what were the first

words

from jesus well we learn that

through that hypothesis of the first

words of important people

are important we hear repent

for the kingdom of heaven is near the

message

of jesus the mission of jesus is to

bring on earth

as it is in heaven bringing the kingdom

of heaven to us teaching us

about our loving father the father who

has

unconditional love for us and what that

means uh

and and and we learned this through

saint paul

as well uh the letter uh of uh saint

paul

to the galatians uh chapter five

uh verses 19-26 just to kind of

conceptualize well what does that mean

the kingdom i think the holy spirit

working through

saint paul did a wonderful job of

explaining exactly that

we hear first of all what the kingdom of

god is not

it's not fits of rage selfish selfish

ambition

dissensions and factions but what we

find out

is that the fruit of the spirit love joy

peace forbearance kindness goodness

faithfulness gentleness and self-control

uh well these are the things that the

kingdom brings

so we're not to be conceited or

provoking or

envying others we are there to bring

people together to to break down those

walls and so often we see in jesus's

parables breaking down societal

walls uh he gets challenged jesus

about uh what is the greatest

commandment we we know that

jesus was a jewish man and the people he

was speaking to were jewish people and

so the ten commandments were

were pretty important and they

challenged jesus

often on what is the greatest

commandment

in his answer in the synoptic gospels

was always the same it was uh

to love god and love your neighbor

uh plain and simple to love god and

love your neighbor and and those

encompassed all the ten commandments

but he deepened that as well jesus

wasn't

uh as you saw in the previous lesson in

the powerpoint

uh his his examples of how he lived

uh his teachings led to the mission of

christ that question mark there if we

added up

how jesus lived jesus's parables which

we're talking about today

in jesus's teaching adding that up that

question mark becomes

uh the kingdom of heaven it becomes the

kingdom of heaven so

where do parables fit into this now

parables

since you're a little kid in in catholic

elementary school

we talk about parables all the time

and they're awesome uh they are so

rewarding for us as we engage in those

parables but they

they unfold in our lives just like when

we talked about

exegesis like the first time you read

scripture

uh it should then change and evolve as

you grow it's a relationship we

we talk about praying with scripture

because scripture is

a living breathing uh friendship we have

we we grow in our friendships we grow

with scripture we

read parables we grow with parables we

should

learn to to grow with parables now

there's three parts

uh to a parable and arguably some of

them don't always follow these exact

three parts but

the three parts in a parable are

first of all a beautiful picture uh when

you teach i'm sure a lot of you some of

your favorite teachers

are ones that take complex ideas

and they they paint a beautiful picture

of that complex idea

they create a great imagery we talk

about different learning styles right we

talk about

people who are auditory learners and

tech tactile learners and

but many of us sometimes we need

we need to visualize it uh and and we

need to have a beautiful picture

but the reality is this is something i

do sometimes uh that

is not well i i teach i like teaching

with stories and i like teaching with

examples and in comparisons taking our

complex physics idea

but relating it to something totally

unrelated but trying to connect the dots

but

in the end you guys as much as we paint

a beautiful picture

there has to be a reality to it it has

to be

meaningful to the people now what that's

one of the challenges of reading

scripture

nowadays is jesus's parables he wasn't

talking

uh to well he is talking to us but he

was talking to

people of first century palestine so

what was that reality that's why

uh doing a pilgrimage and studying what

was first century palestine is so

important because

now we see the reality of what that

teaching was

so we have a beautiful picture uh a

visualization

a an analogy uh but rooted in reality

and then there's a comparison and

this comparison sometimes uh

can be just a connection between the

picture

the reality and bringing together and

going ah that makes sense

that makes sense when we put those two

things together

it can have an aha moment where you get

taken down a road a lot of beautiful

some of my favorite tv shows are ones

that they take you down a path

and then also it changes at the end and

you're like oh my goodness

that's what the message was oh geez i

did

there's always like i think we love

those kind of tv shows because

i think they speak to our heart and

jesus the person who speaks to our heart

of course he would do it in a way that

would take us down a path and then grab

our attention a surprise moment

a twist but the other thing

uh is we have to remember that jesus was

super counter culture guys look

i think one of the hardest things about

being

a christian a believer in christ these

days

is the mission and vision of christ of

bringing the kingdom of heaven

on earth as it is in heaven like

bringing hope and joy and peace

and forgiveness guys 2021

we live in the best version of humanity

it doesn't always seem that way with the

toxicity of

of of social media and the news and all

the things that are happening but

guys we live in a beautiful world where

where people are coming together

uh we are more inclusive than we've ever

been we are more accepting we are more

loving there are there's more

hope for uh the the people of the world

um so sometimes reading jesus's parables

in the bible you're like oh yeah yeah

yeah this

this makes sense like okay love your

neighbor love god

uh but it's because we do love our

neighbors so much and once again i know

some of us sometimes go that's not my

world like our world is the worst world

ever and i think you can go into

paranoia but we're called to repent

metanoia look at the glory of the world

and we live in a great world and i think

that's one of the hard parts

about being a follower of christ but

jesus was counter culture you guys

like he got put on the cross not for

being the most popular guy

he wasn't he wasn't the most popular guy

you don't get put on the cross

and crucified a terrible painful death

if you didn't kind of ruffle some

feathers you you didn't

challenge the norm of culture if you

weren't counter culture

so that's one of the challenges of

reading parables

is we live in a pretty good world so a

lot of the messages kind of ring as just

a children's story

now children's stories are a great

example of

parables here's one of my favorite books

and

one of my colleagues always speaks

beautifully about parables by reading

this book

to their students now i won't read the

book to you

but the gist of the story is a mum

and her little boy and when the little

boy goes to bed

like a little baby in a cradle the mom

says a poem

to uh her little boy and she says

i love you forever i like you for always

as long as i'm living

my baby you'll be and then the baby

turns into a teenager and

and i'm sure a lot of us well we're a

bit of some of us are mama's boys

still but uh the the teenager the mom

sneaks into the teenager's room kind of

creepy but

uh sneaks in and grabs her little boy's

hand and says

i love you forever i like you for always

as long as i'm living

my baby you'll be and then the boy grows

up

and he becomes an adult

and he moves out of the house and the

mom gets sick

the mom gets sick and one day that the

son

uh comes to visit his mom and holds his

mom

who's ill and says i love you forever i

like you for

always as long as i'm living my mother

you'll be

and then he goes home and in the circle

of life

he picks up he's now a dad he picks up

his baby

and he says i love you forever i like

you for always

as long as i'm living my baby you'll be

now at the surface level we all read

that book and go oh

like that's a really nice uh

book it's a really nice book but what a

lot of people don't know about that book

is

here's the twist right like it's a

beautiful picture

it's a beautiful picture there's the

reality of our love that we have with

our mom and we kind of relate to it

but the twist there's a twist that a lot

of people don't know about that book is

robert munch he wrote that book

after him and his wife had a miscarriage

they were pregnant and they lost their

baby

and the morning of losing their baby

one night uh robert munch that poem

not the story but just that poem popped

into his head

i love you forever i like you for always

as long as i'm living my baby you'll be

now his baby had passed away his baby

wasn't there

but he was living in his connection

to his baby that he never got to see

i love you forever i like you for always

as long as i'm living my baby you'll be

that talks about the kingdom of heaven

this unconditional

love that the father god has for us

so sometimes children's stories are

great parables now

here's an example though like there's

always like a deeper meaning

sometimes and so we can hear that in uh

robert munch's story there now that we

know some

context of it but like even when we look

at

the good samaritan right uh the good

samaritan there's a man who's been

beaten and

robbed laying on the path and and along

comes

uh along comes a priest and uh being

fearful of that he might be the next one

to be robbed he just he keeps on going

and he leaves the man

suffering on the road and then a levite

comes and does the same thing but then

the parable is the good samaritan and

the good samaritan comes and and takes

care of the man

and and helps them and so you sit there

and you go what's

what is the parable there it's a

beautiful it's not a beautiful picture

it's a picture we can see this man

on the road naked beaten

we know but the reality is is the priest

walks by the levite a good jewish

lot walks by and then a samaritan walks

by but if we don't know

a samaritan was a person who was half

jewish and half gentile

and at that time you guys the jewish

community was all about like

keeping it in the family and samaritans

were

frowned upon and here's jesus making the

samaritan the hero of the story

the person who with this loving heart

took care of the person beaten and naked

on the road

that would have been super controversial

another uh famous uh uh

parable is the parable of the lost son

let's read it together

jesus continued there was a man who had

two sons

the younger one said to his father

father give me my share of the estate so

he divided his property between them

not longer after that the younger son

got together all that he had

set off for a distant country and there

squandered his wealth and wild living

after he'd spent everything there was a

severe famine in that whole country

and he began to be in need so he went

and hired himself

himself out to a citizen of that country

who

sent him to his fields to feed pigs

important

to feed pigs remember that he longed to

fill his stomach with the paws

the pigs were eating but no one gave him

anything

when he came to his senses he said how

many of my father's hired servants have

food to spare and here i am starving to

death

i will set out and go back to my father

and say to him father i have sinned

against heaven and against you

i am no longer worthy to be called your

son make me like one of your hired

servants

so he got up and went to his father but

while he was still a long ways off his

father saw him and was filled with

compassion for him

he ran to his son through his arms

around him and kissed him

the son said to him father i have sinned

against heaven and against you

i am no longer worthy to be called your

son i want you to remember that part

right there

father i've sinned against you in heaven

i'm no longer to be called your son

worthy to be called your son but the

father said to his servants quick bring

the best robe and put it on him put a

ring on his finger and sandals on his

feet

bring the fattened calf and kill it

let's have a feast and celebrate for

this son of mine was dead and is alive

again he was

lost and is found so they began to

celebrate

meanwhile the older son was in the field

when he came near the house he heard

music and dancing so he called one of

the servants and asked them what was

going on

your brother has come he replied and

your father has killed the fattened calf

because he is back home safe and sound

the older brother became angry and

refused to go in so his father went out

and pleaded with him

but he answered his father look all

these years i've been slaving with for

or slaving for you and never disobeyed

your orders

yet you never gave me even a young goat

so i could celebrate with my friends

but when this son of yours who has

squandered your property with

prostitutes comes home

you kill the fat and calf for him my

son the father said you are always with

me and everything i have is yours

but we have to celebrate and be glad

because this brothers of

this brother of yours was dead and is

alive again

he is lost and is found

you guys this is a controversial parable

now a lot of us would go no this is a

story about just a dad like we love our

kids we know our kids do stupid things

and you know what when our kids do

stupid things we're going to welcome

them because that's what love is

and so that's true and i'm glad and i

hope that's the kind of parent you are i

hope you're a parent who loves

unconditionally but

guys this guy this younger son he goes

and takes the money of his dad his

inheritance he goes and squanders it in

wild living prostitutes drugs who knows

what he's doing

and then he realizes i'm out of money

i gotta come home he's like i don't know

what to do there's a famine

so he goes and he asks for some help and

the people in the country that he goes

to

they send them to the pigs now this is

interesting because jesus is sharing

this story to jewish people now

we know that eating pork eating pig is

is something that the jewish people

don't do it

it was dirty it was unclean it was the

lowest of the animals

so here the the jewish community that's

hearing this message is going oh my

yeah yeah that's what you deserve buddy

when you go and you sin against god and

you sleep with prostitutes and do drugs

and

and have all this crazy stuff the

desires of the flesh

you deserve it man you're no better than

the pigs you don't even deserve what the

pigs eat so they're all thinking man

jesus this guy

jesus is telling a good story like we

love how he's making the

we love how he's making this sun like

lower than the pigs this is great good

story good story and then

jesus says well in this in the story it

goes well you know what

the sun decides to go back home and

everyone's like oh my goodness like

the ten commandments like you you have

to honor your father this guy has not

honored the father at all he's sinned i

can't believe he's going back home you

know what's going to happen to him when

he goes back home man like

we're talking weapons torture maybe even

death they're all

like this is good they're waiting for

this good story because this is their

culture right and jesus is counter

culture but

so they're waiting they're going like oh

this is going to be a good one and so

then the father

sees the sun out in the distance and

they're like okay here it comes

here comes this beautiful picture in the

reality of what they were

perceiving the ten commandments and what

it meant to be a follower of god they're

like okay here it comes and then jesus

goes

whoop and he goes the father was

overjoyed

my son who is once dead is now alive

he was once lost and he is now found

let's celebrate guys the room would have

been

silent people would have been angry

this was a controversial thing that

jesus did

this fired them up this would have been

not

what they were expecting but it did

teach us

what the kingdom of heaven is what the

loving father

the love that god has for us what it's

all about

it was controversial it was counter

culture and let's never forget that

about jesus

jesus's teachings were counter culture

they were controversial

he was put on the cross because of this

guys reading the parables requires

exit jesus understanding the message

requires us to put ourselves in the

parables understand the picture

understand the reality that's where we

have to study sometimes history and

different things

and then understanding the message and

how it applies to us

you guys uh jesus's love was a radical

love

it was different and thankfully it's one

that many of us feel in our life today

so

what is the mission and vision of christ

well part of me thinks that

that it's here the kingdom of heaven on

earth

on earth as it is in heaven like we're

in a good spot you guys let's

be optimistic but let's never forget

that jesus's love was radical

and as such we love god

we love our neighbor we engage with

scripture

and we allow the teachings the parables

to grow in our heart because in then

we too like saint paul writing to the

galatians

will find hope patience

joy and love