Parables of the Heart

Does the word parable bring any thoughts or ideas to the table? You may even ask yourself, where does the word even come from? The Etymology of the word parable comes from the Greek word( parabole )meaning" comparison, illustration, analogy. It was the name given by Greek rhetoricians to an illustration in the form of a brief fictional narrative. Although, the history of parables are often used to explore ethical concepts in spiritual texts. The bible contains numerous parables in the gospels section of the new testament (Jesus' parables). These are believed by some scholars such as, (John P. Meier)to have been inspired by mashalim, a form of Hebrew comparison. Examples of Jesus' parables include the Good Samaritan and the prodigal son. Mashalim from the old testament include the parable of the ewe-lamb( told by Nathan in(Samuel 12: 1-9)and the parable of the woman of tekoah in(2 Samuel 14: 1-13). Parables also appear in Islam. In Sufi tradition, parables are used for imparting lessons and values. The characteristics of a parable is a short tale that illustrates a universal truth; it is a simple narrative that sketches a setting, describes an action, and shows the results. A parable often involves a character who faces a moral dilemma or one who makes a bad decision and then suffers the unintended consequences. Although, the meaning of the parable is often not explicitly stated, it is not intended to be hidden or secret but to be quite straight forward and obvious. The defining characteristic of the parable is the presence of a subtext suggesting how a person should behave or what he should believe. Aside from providing guidance and suggestions for proper conduct in one's life, parables frequently use metaphorical language which allows people to more easily discuss difficult or complex ideas. Parables express an abstract argument by means of using a concrete narrative which is easily understood. The allegory is a more general narrative type; it also employs metaphor. Like the parable, the allegory makes a single, unambiguous point. An allegory may have multiple non-contradictory interpretations and may also have implications that are ambiguous or hard to interpret. As H.W. Fowler put it, the object of both parable and allegory" is to enlighten the hearer by submitting him a case in which he has apparently no direct concern and upon which therefore, a disinterested judgement may be elicited from him. The parable is more condensed than allegory: it rests upon a single principle and a single moral, and it is intended that the reader or listener shall conclude that the moral applies equally well to his own concerns. Medieval interpreters of the bible often treated Jesus' parables as allegories, with symbolic correspondences found for every element in his parables. But, modern scholars beginning with Adolf Julicher, regard their interpretations as incorrect. Julicher held that Jesus' parables are intended to make a single important point, and most recent scholarship agrees. Gnostics suggested that Jesus kept some of his teachings secret within the circle of his disciples and that he deliberately obscured their meanings by using parables. For example, in (Mark 4:11-12): and he said to them," To you has been given the secret of the Kingdom Of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that they may indeed look, but not perceive, and indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.(NRSV)However, it is written within the scriptures that if you seek with all your heart and with all your soul you shall find that the table has already been set, awaiting your arrival to the marriage of the lamb. All my hope is awakened through my faith in the Lord's word and that your eyes will become open to old and new parables written within my poetry. Intending that my spiritual grasp will shed more light upon your parables of the heart, with a totally individual interpretation.