The Importance of Understanding Parables

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B

BLC

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A parable is a story that is told (without proper names) to illustrate 'hidden mysteries' of truth, that only believers in Christ can understand and apply in any generation. When the disciples asked Christ why He spoke to the people in parables, He replied in (Matt 13:11-17) with the following; It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not (v/11). Those who have will be given more so they can see, hear and understand. But unto those who have not, He speaks in parables that they would not see, nor hear, nor understand with their heart, less they be converted and healed (v/15).

Parables, and the truth they illustrate, are only understood by those that are hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3). In (1Cor 2:7-16) speaks to this as the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory (v/7). This is the wisdom that is from above and not of the earth below (James 3:13-18). It is revealed to us by the Spirit, who searches all things, yes, the deep things of God that no man (carnal or natural) can know. These things are freely given unto us by God. In (James 1:5) is says that if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and unbraideth not (without finding fault), and it shall be given him.

* 'hidden mysteries' have nothing to do with extra or added Biblical truth.

Now, with that understanding of a parable, can anyone explain the beautiful 'hidden truths' that are found in the parable of Luke 15:11-32, 'The Parable of the Lost Son'?

Here is a couple of questions and I am sure you will have some of your own.

1. Was the younger son, who got his inheritance and spent it on riotous living, an illustration of a backslidden son of God or was he an unbelieving son?
2. What kind of truth is illutrated, that deals with how the younger son was restored back into his Father's household?
3. How do we apply the truths of this parable to what may happen in a local church household (Eph 2:19) today?
 
L

lifetime

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I would like to take a stab at this because of how important I think the parables of Jesus are, not only in their own right but also because they demonstrate how important symbolism and metaphor are for our understanding throughout the bible and in our Christian life.

re: question 1, I'm sorry but I don't see the relevance of this question. Whether he was an unbeliever or backslidden son of God, the point is he came back. Any one of us can fall to temptation any day of our life or become a so called unbeliever. We are human and I think that it's dangerous to presume we are infallible and can't fall back to those conditions because that's when we might let our guard down and the devil can sneak in.

re: question 2, I think the truth to be illustrated in the story is about the son having been lost and then found. This is cause for great celebration. Do we as Christians seek out recognition and approval from our fellow Christians for our faith and good works? No, we know we only need God's recognition and approval because man's/woman's is secondary. However, do we as Christian's celebrate when a lost lamb has been found/saved? Indeed we do.

re: question 3, I think my response to question 2 answers this as well.

Have you ever been lost and then found? It's a life changing experience that takes one to see, feel, taste, experience the very epitome of God's grace and mercy because that's exactly the only way it happens. Then you can see why it is so much like Luke 15:31-32 because you know how it feels and how happy you will be next time you see it happen to your brother or sister.
 
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easygoing

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My take on this parable is that the father is the lord.
The sons are a representation of gods children (us). There are those that are with the lord and those that are not. The ones with the lord should not seek anything because the lord has provided all that we need. The others that are lost to the world and do not recognize the lord, or have turned from him are the ones that are in need of saving.
If those that turn from the lord, see that the lord has provided everything, and that their lives are lost without him come back humbled, ashamed and in need of him. He will accept us and is cause for great celebration because we are no longer lost but saved.
 
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BLC

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[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]The posters have made some excellent points. There are some practical truths in this parable that are valuable to every believer, especially in the times we live in. Let's look at the terms, items and actions that are mentioned, and define them starting in (verse 12). [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif](v/12) – what does the portion of goods represent? t[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]he inheritance he was entitled[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif](v/12) – these goods were divided unto who? [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]both sons[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif](v/13) – what does the journey into a far country represent? [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]going into the world for refuge[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif](v/13) – what does the riotous living speak of? [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]living a worldly and sinful lifestyle[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif](v/14-16) – how do the following terms relate to the condition of the younger son ([/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]spent all his substance, famine in the land, being in want, feeding swine, joining himself to a citizen, feed himself of the husk of the swine, no man gave to him[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif])? [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]he was stripped of all he had and was being chastised with no energy, in his own flesh, to feed himself of the husks of the swine[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]At this point, we know his experience was not good in any way, but was his position and standing of sonship to his father altered or changed in any way? [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]No[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif], He was still the son of his father.[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]Something takes place in (v/17) that turns him around to go back to his father (v/18). This is pivotal to understand. What is it?[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]The younger son has gone though a time of chastisement from God. He has lived in sin, lost all that he had and is hungry. Then, all of a sudden, he remembers all the hired servants having enough bread and nourishment in his father's house. This is when the Holy Spirit begins to convict him of the things that he left and the bread that he had once fed upon. The bread represents Christ as the bread of life that came down from heaven (John 6:31-34). This is what he began to desire to eat again. To eat this bread again would mean he would never hunger (John 6:35). This was not of himself nor of any man, but of the Holy Spirit who brought this back to his remembrance (John 14:26). He did not desire to go back to his father and his household through the works or the energy of the flesh (Rom 7:5, Gal 5:19). [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, Geneva, sans-serif]Before I continue, give me your take on (Luke 15 :12-18)?[/FONT]
 
MahogonySnail

MahogonySnail

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Jan 8, 2009
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Now, with that understanding of a parable, can anyone explain the beautiful 'hidden truths' that are found in the parable of Luke 15:11-32, 'The Parable of the Lost Son'?

Here is a couple of questions and I am sure you will have some of your own.

1. Was the younger son, who got his inheritance and spent it on riotous living, an illustration of a backslidden son of God or was he an unbelieving son?
2. What kind of truth is illutrated, that deals with how the younger son was restored back into his Father's household?
3. How do we apply the truths of this parable to what may happen in a local church household (Eph 2:19) today?
Click to expand...

Actually, I personally believe this parable is more about the older brother (i.e. the Pharisees etc) than the younger brother. And no one has really mentioned that yet. Even though in our culture it is often used as a nice story about someone who was lost but now found, or about a loving Father who receives his younger son back, or someone lost but now found, the real purpose of the parable , the real meaning and crux behind it is the older brother. c.f. vs 2 and 3 which sets the context,


Luk 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them.
Luk 15:3 And He spoke this parable to them, saying,


Parables are not just spiritual truths, they were also a way for Christ to criticise His opponents. Actually Christ revealed all to His disciples in private. The purpose of parables was for Jesus's opponents.
A friend of mine who was on missionary work in Africa said when she told this story they see the parable as being about the older brother not the younger one. Different cultures see different things. I think in Jesus's day in their culture, they would have thought it was about the older brother too, not merely a nice "lost and found' story.
 
B

BLC

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MSnail,

You make a good point about the elder brother and who is being addressed with this parable. His response to his younger brother being restored and to his father, concerning the fatted calf, is very telling about his own heart in relationship to the mercy, grace and love of God. I did not get that far yet, but you have introduced the first of much that can be gleaned from the elder brother in this parable. I am sure that the Pharisees were pricked in their hearts with this parable.
 
L

lifetime

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#7
#7
Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Matthew 18:11-13 "The Son of Man came to save what was lost. What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off."

I don't think the lost and found stories are "merely" nice stories when it's the reason our Lord came here for us. I can see how it would be difficult to understand the magnitude of it without having experienced it.
 
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