εὐαγγελίζω (euaggelizo)
"to announce the Good News of victory in battle"
"to announce the Good News of victory in battle"
"Jesus told the crowds
all these things in parables (παραβολῆς, parabolēs);
without a parable he told them nothing.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken
through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden
from the foundation of the world.””
all these things in parables (παραβολῆς, parabolēs);
without a parable he told them nothing.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken
through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden
from the foundation of the world.””
θεωρέω (theoreo)
("to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning")
("to perceive, discover, ponder a deeper meaning")
Last week, the sower went forth and that work yielded a variety of results. This Sunday, an enemy sowed weeds all through the wheat and the results were expected. Additionally we hear about mustard seed and yeast. Next Sunday, we go on on excursions to dig for treasure and cast nets on the Sea of Galilee. Common among all these and other similar texts is that they are parables. Next to the healing narratives, Jesus’ parables are among the best known Gospel texts. Even people not familiar with the Gospels have heard of the «Good Samaritan» and «Prodigal Son».
As popular as parables are, describing them is a bit more challenging. Many define a parable as ‘just a story to teach a lesson or impart a moral teaching.’ Not a bad description, except for the ‘just a story’ part. On one hand, no matter how technical or not a description may get, it is vital to know that in the end, insight to live Kingdom of God is the crux of the parable. On the other hand, ‘just a story’ is a phrase that is helpful to omit when approaching the Sacred Text. Western culture often equates the phrase ‘just a story’ with a tale that is fabricated or made-up.
As popular as parables are, describing them is a bit more challenging. Many define a parable as ‘just a story to teach a lesson or impart a moral teaching.’ Not a bad description, except for the ‘just a story’ part. On one hand, no matter how technical or not a description may get, it is vital to know that in the end, insight to live Kingdom of God is the crux of the parable. On the other hand, ‘just a story’ is a phrase that is helpful to omit when approaching the Sacred Text. Western culture often equates the phrase ‘just a story’ with a tale that is fabricated or made-up.
Those who have studied the parables may be familiar with scholars such as Dodd, Jeremias and Beech to name only a few. In the world of Dodd, parables have been described more or less as ‘similes or metaphors drawn from day-to-day living that arrest the listener by their vividness or strangeness thus teasing the mind and heart into active reflection concerning parable’s insight to living the Kingdom of God.’ While not a direct quote from Dodd, the elements of metaphor, strangeness and teasing that Dodd cites are operative in all the parables, albeit in varying degrees. Dodd and company have opened the horizons of our minds and hearts to experience a richness when it comes to living the Kingdom of God.
The word parable is part of the bolein family of verbs in Scripture and theology. Bolein is the Greek verb that means “to throw.” It forms the basis for a number of important words in theology such as symbol, diabolic and parable. Depending on the nouns referenced, the Greek prefix para can mean “with” or “besides.” Para coupled with the Greek verb bolein yields an awkward literal English rendering “throw with” or “throw besides.” So how does this shed light on Gospel parables? Professor C. Clifton Black authored an article a number of years ago in the biblical journal, Interpretation. Professor Black notes another literal meaning of parable from the Greek, “thrown alongside.” He goes on to present that this “thrown alongside” that characterizes Jesus’ parables is a collision between the world and the Kingdom Word pronounced by Jesus. It is not a collision in the sense of an ‘us-against-them,’ but a world that is still ‘being created’ daily to mirror the beauty and glory of the Creator. “When everyday reality is pierced by divine revelation,” says Black, “a parable has happened; a parable has been uttered.” A parable, while technically a noun, is essentially an action: the action of the Creator’s ongoing work of creation. Professor Black contends that the parable “is nothing less than a life-giving encounter between human hunger and Godly nurturance.”
The word parable is part of the bolein family of verbs in Scripture and theology. Bolein is the Greek verb that means “to throw.” It forms the basis for a number of important words in theology such as symbol, diabolic and parable. Depending on the nouns referenced, the Greek prefix para can mean “with” or “besides.” Para coupled with the Greek verb bolein yields an awkward literal English rendering “throw with” or “throw besides.” So how does this shed light on Gospel parables? Professor C. Clifton Black authored an article a number of years ago in the biblical journal, Interpretation. Professor Black notes another literal meaning of parable from the Greek, “thrown alongside.” He goes on to present that this “thrown alongside” that characterizes Jesus’ parables is a collision between the world and the Kingdom Word pronounced by Jesus. It is not a collision in the sense of an ‘us-against-them,’ but a world that is still ‘being created’ daily to mirror the beauty and glory of the Creator. “When everyday reality is pierced by divine revelation,” says Black, “a parable has happened; a parable has been uttered.” A parable, while technically a noun, is essentially an action: the action of the Creator’s ongoing work of creation. Professor Black contends that the parable “is nothing less than a life-giving encounter between human hunger and Godly nurturance.”
