Christian Art | Meaning Of Parables
Mark 4 | Why does Jesus speak in parables?
‘And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.’ Isaiah 6: 9
The parables constitute the heart of Jesus’ teaching. In our time, the stories remain to us strikingly vivid and fresh, touching us with an immediate sense of Jesus’ humanity. Indeed, such is their personal character that we have in the parables a sense of being with Jesus.
At the same time, we find ourselves bound to ask: What do the parables mean? We feel called upon to try to explain the parables, and we may wonder why Jesus taught in this way, telling stories with deeper, hidden meanings, which required explanation, and which the crowds might often not understand.
The struggle to understand the meaning of the parables has been present through the history of Christianity since Jesus. Explaining the parables is no straightforward task. Allegorical meanings are often assigned, and this is the way in which the parables are explained in the Gospels, such that, for example, the owner of the vineyard becomes God and the wicked tenants become those Jewish religious authorities who distort the Law to their own ends and reject the prophets, wilfully obscuring true faith and keeping the people from a free and proper relationship with God. Such interpretations are true, but still there is more; the code is not so simple as to say that x in the story means y in reality, and so on.
Meaning Of Parables
To get to the more profound meaning of the parables, we need to know that they are not merely social commentary or veiled attacks on the Jewish religious authorities, the elders, the scribes, and the Pharisees. The parables are not merely teaching us how to be good people or exposing the hypocrisy of those who do not practice the good they preach.
This is not to say that we do not understand the parables on this level. The good Samaritan is an inspiring figure – obviously we want to be like him. The father of the prodigal son is all that a father could be, his heart bursting with love when his son returns to him. We see the justice in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man – of course we feel the emptiness of riches and a compelling need to give what we can to the poor. These are good and worthy responses to the parables.
Jesus, though, is doing more that conveying sound moral precepts and a simplified theology through colourful, pithy stories. Jesus wasn’t crucified for accusing the Pharisees of being hypocrites, or for encouraging people to recognize what is truly of value in their lives, and to live for that. The parables are far more transformative than this. We are in the presence not of Jesus the liberal rabbi, but of Jesus who brings spiritual revolution.
It has been said that all the parables are ultimately eschatological; all point toward the imminent coming of the Kingdom of God. This is crude, and rather too forced in places, but we can see how the coming of the Kingdom clearly features. We will be judged. We do not know when the hour may be. We are warned to watch, to make good use of our gifts, to store treasure in heaven, to be ever alert to the master’s coming. We are attuned through the parables to this order of reality, our understanding of how to live being thereby reconfigured.
This must, then, lead us to consider the question of the coming of the Kingdom of God, when Christ will come in glory and the world will be judged. The parables teach us to watch, and yet the world didn’t end; there was no apocalypse, no cosmic meltdown, no dissolution of the old world and institution for the elect of the new. The parables, therefore, could not have been intended to point to a temporally imminent eschatology.
The parable of the mustard seed teaches Jesus’ disciples of how the Church will grow from small beginnings to encompass the world, offering the possibility of Christian faith and redemption to all. The seed to grow must fall into the ground and die for there to be life. Likewise, the small lump of leaven must be hidden in the dough for all the dough to rise. The veiled meaning of these parables is a further mystery, through which we read the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
It is when we understand that, at the heart of the parables, we confront the reality of Jesus Christ that we begin to engage more fully with the deep meaning, and that we begin to understand why Jesus taught in parables, veiling his teachings such as to render them deliberately obscure. As he explains to the disciples: ‘Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.’ (Mark 4: 11-12)
Parables And The Mystery Of Christ
The material for the parables is drawn from everyday life. They engage Jesus’ listeners because there is so much that they can easily relate to. Jesus gets his audience into the story, and then there are the twists, the reversals, the shock of the unexpected – our sense of how things are is briskly overhauled. The final mystery remains, like the leaven or the mustard seed, deliberately buried, such that it may germinate and grow, to encompass the whole understanding, the figure of Christ crucified, the Kingdom come. We become Christ’s disciples, walking with him through the mystery, wholly engaged – with the whole understanding – in ways which would not be available should we not have had to think our way inside the parables.
The very fact that the meaning of the parables is hidden thereby engages the listener as a participant in the drama of Christ’s revelation of himself as the Son of God, our redeemer, and it draws us with Christ toward the cross. It is the mystery which propels Christ there. The Jewish authorities know well enough what Jesus is claiming, with his forgiveness of sin and his authoritative reinterpretation of the Sabbath, centring the Sabbath upon himself. For the people as a whole there is obscurity, such muddied understanding as leads to what at first seems a failure of mission, the ignominious death on the cross, which is in fact Christ’s triumph, enabling the greater conversion, for Christ to draw all of humanity to himself.
To this day Jesus is with us. He comes to us. Just as the parables drew on the everyday, familiar world of Jesus’ time, and within the stories the deep mystery of God, Father and Son, was hidden, so now we are drawn by the parables to recognize God in our modern world. The Kingdom of God is indeed imminent: we have only to open our hearts, our minds, our souls, and to call. The truth, then, is no longer hidden. Our life flows from Christ’s loving sacrifice. We live with the crucified Christ at the heart of the parables.
The disciples who have consistently been with Jesus are charged to bear witness to Jesus. They have been with him from the beginning, have seen his signs and miracles and have heard his teaching, both public and to the disciples alone. In these Bible verses, Jesus continues to prepare the disciples both for the Passion and also for their mission, to bring the gift of Christ to the whole world, and he tells them of the hardships they must then endure, which for all but one of the Apostles, John, will result in martyrdom [ … ]
John 4:13-14 (KJV) ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’ Introduction to the Life of Saint Bernadette Saint Bernadette Soubirous, a humble peasant girl from Lourdes, France, lived her life of faith, humility, and divine grace. Born on January 7, 1844, in the small town of Lourdes, Bernadette was the eldest of nine children in a poor and struggling family. Her father, François Soubirous, was a miller, and her mother, Louise, a laundress. The family lived in a former prison cell known as the Cachot, a damp and cramped space, according to their dire financial situation. Despite their poverty, the Soubirous family was deeply rooted in their Christian faith, a foundation that would profoundly shape Bernadette’s life and spiritual journey. Bernadette’s early years were marked by significant health challenges. She suffered from asthma and other respiratory ailments, which often left her weak and unable to attend school regularly. This lack of formal education meant that Bernadette struggled with reading and writing, and her understanding of Christian doctrine was limited. Nevertheless, she possessed a remarkable simplicity and purity of heart, qualities that would make her an ideal recipient of divine revelations. Bernadette’s life changed irrevocably on February 11, 1858, when she experienced the first of eighteen apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the grotto of Massabielle. On that cold winter day, Bernadette, her sister Toinette, and a friend were gathering firewood near the grotto when she heard a rustling sound and saw a beautiful lady dressed in white with a blue sash, holding a rosary. The lady, who later identified herself as the Immaculate Conception, appeared to Bernadette over the course of several months, delivering messages of penance, prayer, and the need for a chapel to be built at the site. Despite initial skepticism from her family and the local authorities, Bernadette remained steadfast in her account of the apparitions, enduring intense scrutiny and even ridicule. The apparitions drew enormous attention. Soon, people from all over France and beyond began to visit Lourdes, hoping to witness a miracle. One of the most significant messages conveyed by the Virgin Mary to Bernadette was the instruction to dig in the ground near the grotto, which led to the discovery of a spring. This spring, believed to have healing properties, became the focal point of the pilgrimage to Lourdes. Many miraculous healings have been attributed to the waters of Lourdes, reinforcing the belief in Bernadette’s visions and the sanctity of the site. As the apparitions concluded, Bernadette’s life took a different turn. In 1866, she joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, taking the name Sister Marie-Bernard. Her time in the convent was marked by continued poor health and humility, as she carried out menial tasks and lived a life of quiet service. Despite her physical suffering, Bernadette remained devout and accepted her hardships with grace, often repeating the phrase, “I am happier here in my little corner of the convent.” Her unwavering faith and dedication to her religious duties exemplified the depth of her spiritual commitment. Bernadette Soubirous passed away on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35, after a prolonged battle with tuberculosis. Her legacy, however, endured far beyond her earthly life. In 1933, she was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius XI, recognized for her humility, faith, and the miraculous events associated with her life. Today, millions of pilgrims flock to Lourdes each year, seeking spiritual renewal and physical healing at the site of her visions. Saint Bernadette’s life continues to inspire countless individuals around the world, reminding us of the power of faith, the virtue of humility, and the enduring presence of divine grace in our lives. To Visit Lourdes Visiting Lourdes, in the picturesque foothills of the Pyrenees in southwestern France, is an experience that transcends the physical journey, drawing pilgrims into a profound spiritual adventure. The small town, known for the Marian apparitions witnessed by Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, has become one of the world’s most revered pilgrimage sites. As we approach the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, the atmosphere is imbued with a palpable sense of reverence and anticipation. The grand basilicas, the tranquil Grotto of Massabielle and the gently flowing waters of the miraculous spring together create a sacred environment that invites reflection, prayer, and a deep connection with the divine. The focal point of any visit to Lourdes is the Grotto, where Bernadette experienced the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here, pilgrims can touch the rock face, light candles, and drink or bathe in the spring’s water, believed to possess healing properties. The profound silence and sense of sacredness at the Grotto allow visitors to contemplate their faith, seek solace and find spiritual renewal. The Rosary Basilica, with its mosaics, and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, perched above the Grotto, offer spaces for communal worship and personal meditation. The nightly candlelight processions, where pilgrims from around the globe unite in prayer and song, highlight the universal bond of faith and hope that Lourdes represents. Beyond its physical beauty and historical significance, visiting Lourdes offers a deeply personal and transformative experience. Pilgrims often arrive burdened with ailments, grief, or spiritual crises, seeking comfort and miracles. The stories of healing and faith that emerge from Lourdes are testimonies to the enduring power of belief and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The communal aspect of the pilgrimage—sharing meals, prayers, and stories with fellow believers—fosters a sense of solidarity and mutual support. For many, the visit to Lourdes is a journey of healing, not only of the body but also of the soul, providing a renewed sense of purpose, peace, and spiritual clarity that lingers long after returning home. Prayer With Saint Bernadette Prayer for Intercession Dear […]
Saint Augustine opens with a profoundly theological insight: unlike earthly shepherds who receive flocks they did not create, God both made and tends his sheep. This evokes both Genesis and John 1, affirming the Creator as the ongoing sustainer. It also draws on the imagery of Ezekiel 34, where God denounces negligent shepherds and declares: ‘I myself will shepherd my sheep.’ [ … ]
