Ok I have decided I want to talk about or study Christ's Parables. This is going to be a post with many parts as you might say.
So first I asked myself what does parable mean?
ANSWER: The word parable comes from the Greek paraballo, which means "to set beside" or "to compare." A parable, therefore, is a simple story in which the narrator compares the common experiences of his listeners to some divine truth.
Ok so why did the Savior use Parables?
So his disciples came and asked him this same question. "He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." (Matthew 13:10-11)
The Master Teacher's parables show both the justice and mercy of God at work among those who hear them. "Two men may hear the same words," wrote Elder James E. Talmage (1862-1933). "One of them listens in indolence and indifference, the other with active mind intent on learning all that the words can possibly convey; and, having heard, the diligent man goes straightway to do the things commended to him, while the careless one neglects and forgets. The one is wise, the other foolish; the one has heard to his eternal profit, the other to his everlasting condemnation."
Interpreting and Application
Ok so how do you interpret them and apply them? Well this is what I am going to study but this is what I have found.
Discovering how to interpret and apply the parables of Jesus is essential to getting the most from them. To interpret a parable, one must study what it meant to them, there, then. To apply a parable, one must ponder what it means to me, here, now. "The only true interpretation is the meaning the parable conveyed, or was meant to convey, when first spoken. The application of a parable may vary in every age and circumstance."
The Parables and you. Me? Yes YOU!
Your diligent study and application of the parables of Jesus will bring you closer to the central purpose of life: to come unto Christ and live His gospel.
SWEET! Who doesn't want to do that? I know I do and I hope you do too! Because my purpose as a missionary is to help others "come unto Christ"!
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915-85) said: "Parables are a call to investigate the truth; to learn more; to inquire into the spiritual realities, which, through them, are but dimly viewed. Parables start truth seekers out in the direction of further light and knowledge and understanding; they invite men to ponder such truths as they are able to bear in the hope of learning more. Parables are a call to come unto Christ, to believe his doctrines, to live his laws, and to be saved in his kingdom."
Parables of Jesus: The Priceless Parables
So first I asked myself what does parable mean?
ANSWER: The word parable comes from the Greek paraballo, which means "to set beside" or "to compare." A parable, therefore, is a simple story in which the narrator compares the common experiences of his listeners to some divine truth.
Ok so why did the Savior use Parables?
So his disciples came and asked him this same question. "He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." (Matthew 13:10-11)
The Master Teacher's parables show both the justice and mercy of God at work among those who hear them. "Two men may hear the same words," wrote Elder James E. Talmage (1862-1933). "One of them listens in indolence and indifference, the other with active mind intent on learning all that the words can possibly convey; and, having heard, the diligent man goes straightway to do the things commended to him, while the careless one neglects and forgets. The one is wise, the other foolish; the one has heard to his eternal profit, the other to his everlasting condemnation."
Interpreting and Application
Ok so how do you interpret them and apply them? Well this is what I am going to study but this is what I have found.
Discovering how to interpret and apply the parables of Jesus is essential to getting the most from them. To interpret a parable, one must study what it meant to them, there, then. To apply a parable, one must ponder what it means to me, here, now. "The only true interpretation is the meaning the parable conveyed, or was meant to convey, when first spoken. The application of a parable may vary in every age and circumstance."
The Parables and you. Me? Yes YOU!
Your diligent study and application of the parables of Jesus will bring you closer to the central purpose of life: to come unto Christ and live His gospel.
SWEET! Who doesn't want to do that? I know I do and I hope you do too! Because my purpose as a missionary is to help others "come unto Christ"!
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915-85) said: "Parables are a call to investigate the truth; to learn more; to inquire into the spiritual realities, which, through them, are but dimly viewed. Parables start truth seekers out in the direction of further light and knowledge and understanding; they invite men to ponder such truths as they are able to bear in the hope of learning more. Parables are a call to come unto Christ, to believe his doctrines, to live his laws, and to be saved in his kingdom."
Parables of Jesus: The Priceless Parables
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