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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
A parable is, literally, something "cast alongside" something else. Jesus' parables were stories that were "cast alongside" a truth in order to illustrate that truth. His parables were teaching aid...
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Ni Jay
The Oxford Dictionary defines a 'parable' as a "narrative of imagined events used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson". This definition owes its origin to Jesus's use of parables in his teaching. Not only did the use of parables provide Jesus a way of avoiding conflicts with Pharisees and getting across the truth as Rev. Houdmann states above but also, because a parable is abstract and generic in nature, the message has no time limit and can be applied in any context, not just in the Jewish environment e.g. Parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29), Parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14). That is why the underlying messages of the parables have lasted for over 2000 years, and still relevant today, as well as why they could be understood by anyone from anywhere in the world. The reason why some of the disciples had difficulties in understanding the underlying messages of some of the parables was because they were not too abstract in their thinking and had limited understanding. However, look at the level of Peter's and other disciples' teaching when the Holy Spirit entered them. Jesus' use of parables was forecasted in the Bible - 'I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from old (Psalm 78:2).'
Salem Markus Purba
Parable is a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.(Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary). Jesus was using parables in teaching his disciples (believers and followers of Jesus) who were given the knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of God so that those who were not believed :" though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand" (Luke 8: 10; Mark 16: 17-18).
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