Week 8: The Parables
What are parables? (Hultgren)
"the parables are themselves front and center bearers of the message of Jesus."
Authenticity of the parables
(Bound up with the issue of allegory) A) i)It has been the general consensus of twentieth century scholarship that the parables are the closest we come to the ipsissima vox (authentic voice) of Jesus. This is so because of their reflection of a Palestinian background, their use of Aramaic idiom, and their tendency to satisfy the other so-called criteria for authenticity. ii) However, it has been an enduring legacy of Julicher that an authentic core of a parable is often separated from the appended framework. The latter, which often does not appear to capture the central feature of a parable, is seen as the work of the early church or the evangelists, who sought to interpret the parables along allegorical lines. B) synoptic interpretations C) K.E.Bailey He contends that Jesus of Nazareth must be seen not merely as a storyteller or an example of love, but as a serious theologian with a powerful and astute mind. Furthermore, in telling his parables Jesus stood in the OT and wider Middle Eastern tradition where metaphor and simile were the primary focus of speech, creating meaning rather than merely illustrating a concept. D) Conclusion - main reason people dismiss the framework or parables is a distaste/rejection for allegory. Luke interprets the parable in advance.
What purpose did Jesus' parables serve in his ministry and how should we interpret them? - Purpose
- 35% of Jesus' teachings in the Synoptics are in the form of parables - parables - para (beside), bole (to cast) - an illustrative comparison. Hultgren - "the parables are themselves front and centre the bearers of the message of Jesus" Jesus used parables as stories often are more memorable, share cultural experience. Jesus was able to use his parable to pack a punch, where perhaps propositional speech may have had him arrested far earlier. They demand a response. To reveal the mystery of the Kingdom of God (Matt 13:11, Mark 4:11) - for those who had ears to hear, to understand the nature of the kingdom of God, for those who reject God's rule will not understand - it obscures things even further *Kingdom inaugurated but still awaiting fulfilment (Mark 4:26-32) *Need for repentance/response (Matt 13:24-30, 47-50) *Need for watchfulness (Matt 25:1-13) *Value/price of the kingdom (Matt 13:44-46) *Obstacles to entering the kingdom (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20) *Who is in the kingdom (Luke 13:6-9; 14:15-24; 16:19-31; Mark 12:1-12) *Living simply/loving others/caring for the poor (Luke 12:13-21; Luke 10:25-37; 16:19-31) *The God of the kingdom is merciful (Luke 13:6-9, 18:9-14) *The God of the kingdom answers prayer (Luke 11:5-8, 18:-8) *The God of the kingdom seeks out the lost (Luke 15:1-32)
2 Modern approaches to parables
1. Jesus Seminar - Liberals - continue the line of Julicher - where the allegorical features of the parables are universally seen as reflecting the later situation and interpretive stance of the early church. Jesus did not use allegory or interpret with allegory. 2. Craig Blomberg - proposes that the parables are more allegorical than is normally acknowledged, although they are not necessarily allegorical in every detail. An allegorical continuum - from Good Samaritan to the Sower. Not one size fits all.
Adolf Julicher's view of parables
1888-1889 - a watershed study - he distinguished between allegory and simile. - most parables are similitudes - expanded similes. - Jesus' purpose was to instruct the common folk - he wouldn't have spoken in such cryptic terms. - One simple point by means of a tertium comparationis, i.e. one point of comparison - all other details are stage props - general moral truths
Boucher/Klauck/Weder's view of parables
1970s, early 80s Madeleine Boucher - argued that allegory is nothing more than an extended metaphor in narrative form. This narrative may or may not consist of a series of individual metaphors, but this is unimportant. What is important is that the whole meaning of the narrative is a metaphor for something.
What percentage of Jesus' teaching in the Synoptics is in parables?
35%
Sociological Readings Interpretation (Herzog)
A growing emphasis in New Testament scholarship Parables are comment on oppression of peasant class by the ruling class. Parables of the Talents - the hero of the story was the guy who buried his money because he refused to support an unjust system that exploited the poor to make the rich richer. Herzog removes the parable from its literary framework and makes the story sit in its cultural context only.
The role of the parables in the teaching of Jesus
A) they illustrate the content of Jesus teaching - the Kingdom of God B) the parables give insight into the method of Jesus' teaching - to exhort, disarm, illustrate, shock/confront, conceal.
Allegory
Collection of metaphors - a description of something under the guise of something else, e.g. Pilgrims Progress
Parables to exhort
Confronting and challenging in a way that propositional method isn't. Be watchful! Be good stewards!
Pre late 19th century view of parables
Early church Fathers, including Irenaeus and Augustine - parables as detailed allegories - one to one correspondence between every element of the story and the truth. Lacks control - varied interpretations. E.g. Augustine & the Good Samaritan - Adam, the journeying man, Jerusalem the heavenly city of peace, Jericho signifying human mortality etc. Reformers - Luther denounced this approach but he still used it. After all, Jesus explained some his parables this way Mark 4:13-20; Matt 13:36-43
What is a parable?
From Greek word parabole - Riddle - Mark 4:11 - Proverb - Luke 4:16-24 Three kinds in the synoptics - a parabolic saying, aphorisms, simplest utterances of Jesus. Matt 5:13, Matt 24:32 - a simile - the kingdom of God is like ... Mark 7:14-17 (Needs no interpretation) Matt 13:24, 31, 33 - a narrative parable - Good Samaritan/Prodigal Son Our definition: A story, or saying, that illustrates by use of metaphor (needs interpretation). Allegory - arrangement of metaphors in a narrative. Similitude - expanded simile. (Simile: a comparison of one thing with another, e.g. As brave as a lion)
Etymology of Parable
From parabole Para - beside Bole - to cast Something to cast beside something else - a juxtaposition functioning as an illustrative comparison.
Redaction Criticism Interpretation
How the writers put their gospels together. How the parable functioned within the wider context of that gospel. Parable of lost sheep - in Luke and Matt - in Luke 15 it is part of the parables of salvation for the lost, in Matthew 18 it is part of restoring one who has wandered from the faith.
Parables in Mark
In Mark, Jesus' riddles have a dual purpose. **On the one hand, he tells riddles as a call to understanding. He prefaces or concludes some riddles with commands to "Hear! Look!" "Look at what you hear," "If any have ears to hear, let them hear," and "Hear me everyone and understand." **On the other hand, Jesus also tells riddles so that those who reject God's rule will not understand—"so that looking they look and don't see, and hearing they hear and don't understand. Otherwise they might turn and be pardoned!" **At the point in the story when Jesus states this reason for telling riddles, the authorities have already rejected Jesus and committed a "sin to eternity" of claiming that he is possessed by an unclean spirit. They have shown themselves to be blind and deaf to the rule of God. The effect of the riddles for those who already do not perceive God's hidden rule in Jesus is to obscure matters further.
Old Testament Antecedents for Parables
Isaiah 5:1-7 2 Samuel 12:1-6
Reader Response Criticism
Key term here is 'polyvalence' - multiple meanings. People come with presuppositions - not neutral. Meaning of parable is created by the readers. No objective meaning - parable means different things to different people. A. C. Thiselton contends that reader-response criticism is valuable in the sense that: (1) it deals with different perspectives on a parable; (2) it frees the text from the time bound constraints imposed by the historical-critical model; and (3) it cuts through the false assumption that a text has an obvious meaning apart from the stance and expectations of the interpreter. However, it is inadequate when used in isolation as a single hermeneutical model, for this will inevitably lead to hermeneutical radicalism and interpretive anarchy.
The content of the parables
Kingdom inaugurated but still awaiting fulfilment Ethics - the embodiment of the Law Harvest/Judgement Need for repentance/response Need for watchfulness Value/price of the kingdom Obstacles to entering the kingdom Who is in the kingdom Loving simply/caring for the poor The God of the kingdom is merciful The God of the kingdom answers prayer The God of the kingdom seeks out the lost
What purpose did Jesus' parables serve in his ministry and how should we interpret them? - Interpretation
Much scholarship dedicated to determining how to interpret the parables. * Early church Fathers - parables as detailed allegories * Julicher - parables are extended similitudes, not allegories - one point of comparison * allegorical interpretation became unfashionable in scholarly circles, but continued in popular Christianity. * Boucher and others in 1970s argued that allegories are extended metaphors in narrative form. * Blomberg - allegorical continuum.
Parables to conceal
Opposite of illustrating Way of stimulating faith, not forced, more reflective Veiled nature of the kingdom May have been a way to avoid early arrest Conveying truth indirectly. Sometimes speaking in riddles enables Jesus to avoid arrest. By telling a riddle about binding the strong one rather than by making a direct statement, Jesus avoids a charge of blasphemy. By using a riddle about defiled food, Jesus cryptically announces a contravention of written laws. With the riddle about the vineyard, Jesus explains his authority as God's son in an indirect way that does not expose him to indictment.
Parables to shock/confront
Parables are not just nice stories. They have unexpected and shock features. Luke 15:4-7 God seeking out the lost - that's new. Luke 18:9-14 mercy towards the tax collector - whaaat!!?! Luke 16 - master commended for being a shrewd manager.
Conclusion on interpretations of parables
Parables do have more than one point of comparison - this is too restrictive. Parables do have power in story form but hey still need to be interpreted. No text speaks by itself. Parables do not have unlimited meanings - need to be examined in their context in the gospels. Blomberg supposed that parables tend to make one point per main character - reasonable approach, but wouldn't want to apply it rigidly.
Parables to disharm
Parables get his listeners onside and then turns the story against them e.g. Nathan's parables to David. Emotional response. Matt 21:28-32 Possibly why Jesus was able to avoid arrest for so long.
Jeremias (Hunter/Stein) Interpretation
Reading the parables in cultural context, not morals or eschatological. Inaugurated eschatological - now and not yet tension - parables reflect this tension.
Parables to illustrate
Story is immensely valuable - better than propositional speech. There is value - emotional connection, empathy, descriptive, place ourselves in the story, better recall - more likely to remember stories in a sermon than the content. Less confrontational, but packs a punch.
K.E.Bailey Interpretation
Stresses the importance of Middle Eastern cultural analysis. Closest culture is Middle Eastern peasants - culture has changed very little. Analyses the literary structure of the parables (can be forced at times) Focuses on the theological cluster. Number of theological themes embedded into the parable - vastly different to Julicher. Parable of the Lost Son - repentance, grace, loving Father, forgiveness, legalism, servant. Focused on the parables of Luke.
Existentialist Readings Interpretation
The 'new' hermeneutic. Not concerned with historical setting - language of the parable is viewed as existential. As such, Jesus' words (especially the parables) are considered as language events which encounter the reader afresh in a new situation, confronting them with a decision regarding authentic existence. The parables show that God and the kingdom are to be experienced existentially in the ordinary aspects of life, yet their radical aspect leaves us "naked" before their challenge. J.Breech - the parables are not about Jesus, nor religious/theological issues, but human life/reality. W.Harnish - parables reflect the tension between the real and the possible. B.B.Scott - do not interpret the parables, for we must let them speak to us.
C.H.Dodd Parable Interpretation
The kingdom of God stands at the centre of Jesus' proclamation. Parables need to be understood in an eschatological framework - but refer to kingdom now.