Learn to Read the Bible Effectively - How Can We Understand Parables? What Does the Bible Say?
Jesus sometimes spoke in parables.
A parable is a story based on day to day happenings that are common knowledge events but it comes with deeper spiritual meaning hidden behind the more obvious story.
But how can we know how to interpret the true meaning of a parable? Jesus knew that this would be a problem so he posed that very question (Mark4:13) and then gave us an example of how to interpret parables.
We find this in Mark chapter four where we find the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20).
The Parable goes like this: A farmer went out into his fields to plant a crop.
He cast his seed and -Some seed fell on the pathway and birds came and ate it.
-Some seed fell on stony ground where the soil was very shallow, it germinated, but the seedlings couldn't put down a good root system because the soil was shallow over rock.
As a result, when the weather warmed, in the heat of the day the seedlings got cooked! -Some seed fell on ground where the soil was OK but there were a lot of weed seeds already in the soil.
They all sprang up together, but as they grew, the weeds took over and grew faster and choked the crop.
-Some seed fell on good ground, good fertile soil and put down good roots and grew into strong healthy plants and brought forth a bumper crop! This was all common knowledge for the people who lived in a rural based community, but was Jesus main intent just to reinforce their agricultural knowledge? No! He goes on to explain the deeper meaning of the parable.
Jesus then explains that the seed is the word of God (the Gospel) and the different types of ground are different types of people who react in different ways when they hear the word.
-The "pathway people" aren't interested at all; they discard it and go on with whatever else is important to them.
-"Stony ground people" hear and happily embrace the Gospel but they don't do much with it.
They don't take the time to deepen their understanding and strengthen their faith, and when the difficulties of life come upon them they become disillusioned and give up their faith.
-"Weedy ground people" also happily accept the word and spend time deepening their knowledge and faith, but there are other important things in their lives that take up their time and attention.
The deceitfulness of riches and the cares of this life take over and these things stunt their spiritual growth until they lose all sense of what is truly important in life.
-The good and fertile ground represents people of a good and honest heart who happily accept the word and fully embrace God in their lives.
They increase their understanding and faith and God becomes the most important thing in their lives.
They live Godly lives and help others.
They are very "fruitful".
A parable is a story based on day to day happenings that are common knowledge events but it comes with deeper spiritual meaning hidden behind the more obvious story.
But how can we know how to interpret the true meaning of a parable? Jesus knew that this would be a problem so he posed that very question (Mark4:13) and then gave us an example of how to interpret parables.
We find this in Mark chapter four where we find the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20).
The Parable goes like this: A farmer went out into his fields to plant a crop.
He cast his seed and -Some seed fell on the pathway and birds came and ate it.
-Some seed fell on stony ground where the soil was very shallow, it germinated, but the seedlings couldn't put down a good root system because the soil was shallow over rock.
As a result, when the weather warmed, in the heat of the day the seedlings got cooked! -Some seed fell on ground where the soil was OK but there were a lot of weed seeds already in the soil.
They all sprang up together, but as they grew, the weeds took over and grew faster and choked the crop.
-Some seed fell on good ground, good fertile soil and put down good roots and grew into strong healthy plants and brought forth a bumper crop! This was all common knowledge for the people who lived in a rural based community, but was Jesus main intent just to reinforce their agricultural knowledge? No! He goes on to explain the deeper meaning of the parable.
Jesus then explains that the seed is the word of God (the Gospel) and the different types of ground are different types of people who react in different ways when they hear the word.
-The "pathway people" aren't interested at all; they discard it and go on with whatever else is important to them.
-"Stony ground people" hear and happily embrace the Gospel but they don't do much with it.
They don't take the time to deepen their understanding and strengthen their faith, and when the difficulties of life come upon them they become disillusioned and give up their faith.
-"Weedy ground people" also happily accept the word and spend time deepening their knowledge and faith, but there are other important things in their lives that take up their time and attention.
The deceitfulness of riches and the cares of this life take over and these things stunt their spiritual growth until they lose all sense of what is truly important in life.
-The good and fertile ground represents people of a good and honest heart who happily accept the word and fully embrace God in their lives.
They increase their understanding and faith and God becomes the most important thing in their lives.
They live Godly lives and help others.
They are very "fruitful".
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