1. The word “parable” comes from the Greek word “paraballo”, which means “to throw alongside” and “to reach a place.”
2. The dictionary definition, “an allegorical representation of something from real life, from which a moral is drawn for instruction,” does not quite explain the purpose of Jesus’ parables.
3. Jesus’ parables presented a physical example to which people could relate so that they could also relate to a spiritual truth.
4. Jesus’ parables used pictures from THIS world’s kingdom, to paint pictures of HIS kingdom.
5. A Bible parable is a story that everyone understands, that is laid parallel to a truth that we do not yet understand.
6. People who make no effort to seek God’s kingdom have no context to understand Christ’s parables.
7. The parables which we will study about the kingdom of God use pictures from this life, which we HAVE seen, to help us understand a new life which we have NOT yet seen.
