Pondering The Parables
A Series of Reflections on the Parables of Jesus
By Fr. Bernard Camiré, S.S.S.
From the Bulletin of Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church, New York City
Copyrighted. All rights reserved by Fr. Camiré
Introduction
The parables of Jesus are passages of Scripture that we hear proclaimed with some frequency in the Gospel reading at Mass as the liturgical year unfolds. And, of course, in our personal reading of the four Gospels, we inevitably come upon them ― and sometimes in quick succession. The parables of Jesus, short fictitious narratives that make a moral or religious point, have perhaps struck us in a variety of ways. Possibly they stirred our imagination, or confirmed a personal conviction, or caused us to reflect on a particular point. Then again, perhaps they left us somewhat bewildered. If that was their effect, they probably kindled within us a desire to deepen our understanding of them and to penetrate their meaning. That desire, perhaps, was present but never carried through for one reason or another. In the coming months, in this column, I would like to explain that fascinating portion of New Testament Scripture that is the parables of Jesus.
Background Information
Before we delve into Jesus’ parables as such, it would be useful to say a few words about the parable as a device in literature in general and in Scripture. The English word parable is from a Greek word whose root connotation signifies the placing of things side by side for the sake of comparison. As we learned in our high school literature class, comparisons fall into two general categories: the simile and the metaphor. In a simile, one thing is likened or compared to another of a different kind for the purpose of illustration. Often in a simile, we find the word "like" or "as"; for example, in the Gospel of Matthew we hear Jesus say, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs" (23:27). This colorful method of describing something is quite common in our everyday speech. On the other hand, metaphor is a compressed simile in which one thing is identified or equated with another, or else the qualities of one thing are directly ascribed to another. In Matthew 5:13-14, for example, we hear Jesus exclaim: "You are the salt of the earth . . . you are the light of the world." This figure is more literary than the simile and is frequently found in poetry.
The more elaborate forms of illustration that we find in the parable and the allegory are really expansions of the basic figures. A parable is a developed simile in which the story, while fictitious, is true to life, differentiating a parable from a fable. An allegory is a developed metaphor prolonged into a continuous narrative. Ideally, the parable is distinct from allegory. In the parable, the details and characters have no hidden meaning, the important thing being the lesson of the story. But in practice, as a number of Gospel parables show, the traits of allegory are often present in a parable.
Jesus, the Storyteller
Jesus was a master storyteller, knowing how to make use of illustrations from daily life that attracted his hearers’ attention. Outdoor scenes of farming and shepherding, indoor scenes in simple one-room houses, laborers and merchants at their workplace, children in the marketplace, wild and domestic animals, lamps and wineskins, harvests, fields, trees, and flowers ― all figured in parables narrated with vividness and color.
Jesus employed well the techniques of storytelling. One of these was the "rule of three," according to which it was customary to have three characters with the point of illustration lying in the third. We find this, for example, in the parable of the three servants entrusted with the talents (Mt 25: 14-30), and the three individuals who pass the man who fell among robbers (Lk 10:30-36). Another technique is that of direct discourse; characters talk aloud to themselves so that the hearer may find out what is in their minds. We have an example of this in the parable of the rich fool (Lk 12:16-21) and of the Pharisee and the publican (Lk 18:9-14).
The Purpose of Parables
Finally, we may ask: what was the purpose of Jesus’ parables? The overwhelming evidence of the Gospels is that the parables were spoken by Jesus to give his message greater intelligibility and appeal. If at times particular parables left individuals uncomprehending, blinded in mind and heart (Mk 4:1-12), it was more because these individuals refused their piercing challenge than because they could not be intellectually understood.
Having provided this all too brief background, we are now ready to delve into the parables narrated in the Gospels. Our hope is that in the coming months we shall be enlightened intellectually and enriched spiritually for our pondering the parables of Jesus.
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