teach7g-education@CORNERSTONE MINISTRIES: The Chronological Order of Jesus’ 46 Parables

Friday 6 August 2021

The Chronological Order of Jesus’ 46 Parables

Parable: a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. Commonly defined as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. A form of figurative speech.

Secondary definition: a teaching method, using the familiar to illustrate unfamiliar (hidden) concepts (about the Kingdom of Heaven).

Source: https://www.swapmeetdave.com/Bible/Parables/index.htm

Note: A fuller list of parables in the Bible (Old & New Testaments) is provided at the end of this study.

Also, those presenting may register their names along with the specific parable(s) by going to the link that will be provided. Thank you for your participation.

(Note: this link will be removed after we have completed our study of the parables).

The central theme behind these parables

All parables told by Jesus follow a universal theme ― the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, how one should perceive the Kingdom of Heaven and its divine attributes (code of conduct) are illustrated by Christ using everyday activities, usually within the predominantly agricultural setting of his day.

Hence, the Kingdom of Heaven is often likened to various agricultural activities such as crop production or fishing which were commonplace professions among the people of Jesus' time.

One can imagine that when Jesus was telling these pithy stories he looked among his audience and saw some of the very people he was describing in his tales ― fisherfolk, herdsmen, tax collectors, food crop producers; both rich and poor alike.

It is also reasonable to assume that many persons listening to these stories told by Jesus could relate to the practical meaning behind these stories. However, the deeper spiritual significance of these tales would have proved far more challenging to the uninitiated. This is clearly observed when Jesus was explaining the spiritual significance of the "Parable of the Sower" to his disciples.

Again, near the end of his public ministry, Jesus' disciples are once more perplexed by our Master's use of figurative language but are elated when he reveals the meaning of his statements to them.

Having established that the central theme underlying parables is the Kingdom of Heaven, how then do we apply this knowledge to our understanding and implementation of these parables? Many biblical scholars have suggested examining these parables using three primary questions:

What spiritual truth/s (the main message) do you think Jesus wanted his audience to learn from this story?
What is the parable saying to us today (what relevance does it have for us today)?
How can the truth/s we have discovered from this story help us as citizens of God's Kingdom (how can we apply it to our lives)?

Here is an example of this method.

A Parable of the Kingdom of Heaven