The Toronto Catholic District School Board

Course: Grade 10 Religion – and Culture

Date/Lesson Number: Lesson 5 and 6

Unit: Scripture

Lesson Topic: The of Matthew.

Time Period: These lessons comprise 2 lessons of 75 minute periods.

Focus Question:

The purpose of these lessons is to illustrate the gospel portrait of Christ according to St. Matthew.

Instructional Objective(s):

1) Students will examine the origins of Matthew’s gospel and for whom he wrote his gospel in the ancient city of Antioch in present day Syria. 2) Students will learn how the ’s titles for Jesus reveals Jesus as the Teacher, his relationship with his Father and his many teachings that gave his disciples the key to happiness. 3) Students will learn about Matthew’s unique portrait of Jesus as Emmanuel- God with us during our pilgrimage as Christians where the journey may be arduous, involve rejection but ultimately lead to joy.

New Evangelization Essential Element(s):

Key Element I: Knowledge of the Faith: What We Believe.

Key Vocabulary:

Kingdom of God Gentiles Torah

Key Scriptural Passage(s):

Matthew 5: 3 Key Catechism Reference(s):

Key People:

Pope Francis

Internet Link(s): www.avemariapress.com www.vatican.va www.cccb.ca

Textbook Suggestions:

Encountering Jesus in the . (2009) Michael Pennock. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, Inc. Chapter 5. Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World. (2010) Michael Pennock. Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, Inc. Chapter 6.

Materials required:

1) Sacred Scripture (NRSV) 2) PowerPoint Presentation [Appendix A] 3) Student Handout

Prayer learned or reviewed:

Matthew 16: 7-15

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses

Step by Step Procedures:

Symbol: Winged Man

Task 1: Who is Matthew the Evangelist and Why did he Write his Gospel?

Who was Matthew the evangelist?

[Most students are surprised to learn that the true identity of Matthew is really anonymous, The author might have known the Apostle Matthew or used a source of sayings originally in Aramaic. Matthew’s gospel contains about 80% of Mark’s gospel. The author was most likely a Jewish Christian scribe whose theology clearly demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the Hebrew Old Testament. The author also shows knowledge of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in 70 C.E. The gospel was written for a predominately Greek-speaking Jewish Christian in Antioch, Syria where followers of Jesus were first called Christians.]

Share the following with the class.

What is the issue at hand?

A class discussion should ensue around the following questions which could be presented to the students as part of a large group discussion.

a. Who was “Matthew” after whom the gospel is written? b. What is unique about Matthew’s gospel and why was it included as one of the four in the New Testament canon? c. What did Matthew’s gospel reveal about Jesus’ message for this early Jewish Christian community? d. How is the gospel of Matthew relevant today?

Important: Each of the gospels in the next four lessons will follow a pattern that addresses:

a. The context of why the gospel was written and how that context can be integrated with current issues in the world today that require a response of justice and compassion, in other words, a gospel response. b. Each gospel will focus on common themes to all four gospels: 1. Titles for Jesus and how this connects with questions about who Jesus is and the Catholic faith about Jesus, 2. The portrait of Jesus particular to a gospel, 3. The kind of call to discipleship particular to each gospel, 4. The predominant genre [miracle, , etc.] in each gospel that teaches about the kingdom of God, 5. How this gospel is relevant in today’s world.

(20 minutes)

Task 2: Matthew’s key to Happiness -- Jesus’ (Matthew 5).

1. Use Appendix A “Pope Francis reflects on the in WYD 2014 message.” as a reading.

2. Task 2. Questions for reflection. Based on this reading and some background information on World Youth Day and Pope Francis, Students will answer the following reflection questions:

a. What does Pope Francis say about the significance of Jesus teaching on the mountain. What is the title he gives to Jesus?

b. What usually makes you happy? In the first section on the revolutionary power of the beatitudes, what is the challenge from the Pope that will give us real joy?

c. In the second section on the courage to be happy, what is his criticism of our culture today?

d. In the third section, the Pope asks the question, “How can poverty be a blessing?” Summarize his three points he makes in this section as he explains the meaning of this challenging beatitude.

e. Finally in the fourth section the Pope explains Jesus’ message about the kingdom of heaven. Why do we pray to our Father, “Thy kingdom come?”

f. How does the Pope explain that evangelization will happen?

(10 minutes) Task 3: PowerPoint on Matthew’s Gospel

a. Review the PowerPoint on Matthew’s gospel in Appendix B. b. Answer the following questions about Matthew’s gospel:

1. In slide 6, the gospels of Matthew and Mark are compared, what are three important points from this comparison?

2. What is the portrait of Jesus described in Slide 7.

3. Slide 7 also outlines the five discourses in Matthew’s gospel. The Old Testament also starts with 5 books. Name them below. Why would Matthew organize his gospel in this manner?

4. In slide 9, how is Discourse One on love and forgiveness translated into several important commandments as explained in this slide?

5. Read Chapter 10 of Matthew’s gospel. How does Jesus promise to help the apostles when he gives them the “Mission of the Twelve?” Use slide 10 for your answer.

6. How does slide 11 explain what is a parable? What do the explain?

7. Read Mt 16: 18-19. Who does Jesus appoint as his leader? Who is his successor today?

8. Read Mt 24-24. What does the Final Judgement mean? Slide 14. How are we to act towards each other if we believe Jesus is truly “with us?”

(45 minutes)

Lesson 6 Matthew’s Gospel Continued.

Task 4: Scriptural Selections from Matthew’s Gospel. Parables of Matthew’s Gospel.

[In the following activity, Students are directed to the predominant genre in Matthew’s gospel, parables about the kingdom of heaven. They will be asked to read some or all of these stories (perhaps divided in groups), followed by an assignment under ‘Thought Provoker’ at the end of this lesson.]

1. First of all, what is a parable? [See Appendix C] See the following reference for more information: http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Parables.htm

2. Below is a list of all the parables common to Matthew’s gospel (with parallels with the other gospels) and those unique to Matthew alone:

Reference: http://www.haverford.edu/relg/courses/301F09/List%20of%20Parables.htm

Clicking on the link below will bring you directly to the scriptural reference.

PARABLES OF THE AND THEIR PARALLELS

1. THE

 Mark 4:1–20, :3–23, Luke 8:5–15, Thomas 9

2. THE PARABLE OF THE SEED GROWING SECRETLY

 Mark 4:26-29 [unique to Mark]

3. THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

 Mark 4:30-32, Matthew 13:31-32, :18-19, Thomas 20

4. THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS

 Mark 12:1-11, Matthew 21:33-46, Luke 20:9-18, Thomas 65

5. THE PARABLE OF THE BUDDING FIG TREE

 Mark 13:28-32, Matthew 24:32-36, Luke 21:29-33 6. THE PARABLE OF THE FAITHFUL SERVANT

 Mark 13:33-37, Matthew 24:42, Luke 12:35-48, Thomas 21, 103

PARABLES OF MATTHEW NOT FOUND IN MARK

7. THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND TARES

 Matthew 13:24-30, Thomas 57

8. THE

 Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:20-21, Thomas 96

9. THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE

 Matthew 13:44, Thomas 109

10. THE PARABLE OF THE

 Matthew 13:45-46, Thomas 76

11. THE PARABLE OF THE NET

 Matthew 13:47-50, Thomas 8

12. THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP

 Matthew 18:12-14, Luke 15:3-7, Thomas 107

13. THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT

 Matthew 18:23-35 [unique to Matthew]

14. THE PARABLE OF THE LABORERS IN THE VINEYARD

 Matthew 20:1-16 [unique to Matthew]

15. THE

 Matthew 21:28-31 [unique to Matthew]

16. THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST/BANQUET

 Matthew 22:1-14, Luke 14:15-24, Thomas 64

17. THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS

 Matthew 25:1-12 [unique to Matthew]

17b. THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

 Matthew 25:14-25:30

(30 minutes)

Task 5: Parables Analysis

Divide the class into small groups that will choose (or be given) a parable. The students will need to first read the parable and then to look up any vocabulary that might be helpful in understanding the meaning of the parable, such as the word, “talent.”

The following website also has commentaries on the parables for the students to understand why Jesus might have used this kind of story to teach an important lesson to his disciples.

https://www.biblegateway.com/

(20 minutes) Task 6: The students will copy down the following:

Summary Table for Gospel of Matthew

Background of gospel writer Jewish-Christian scribe, might have known Matthew When and Why it was written 80-85 C.E. in Antioch, Syria Titles for Jesus Teacher, Emmanuel, Son of David Portrait of Jesus Authoritative Teacher, the New Moses Kind of Discipleship Sermon on the Mount teaches that discipleship is hard but rewarding Predominant Genre Parables about Kingdom of Heaven Singularity of gospel Jesus fulfils Old Testament prophecies Meaning of P,D, R Jesus’ death and resurrection is the beginning of the Church, forgiveness and service Contemporary Relevance We will be judged on how we treat the least of our brothers and sisters Question for Christians today What does it really mean to be a Christian leader today?

(10 minutes)

Task 7: Definitions.

The students will copy down the following definitions:

Kingdom of God: or the reign of God is the proclamation by Jesus that inaugurated his life, death and resurrection. It is the process of God’s reconciling and renewing all things through His Son, to the point where his will is being done on earth as it is in heaven.

Gentiles: A term for non-Jews.

Torah: The Law or divine teaching revealed to Judaism. It is the foundation of the Jewish religion and is found in the Pentateuch.

Scriptural connection: Matthew Chapter 13 -- Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven

(5 minutes)

Thought Provoker

Did you know that the Evangelist Matthew was a tax collector?

Assessment Assignment

Parable Assignment

Parables are one of the most misunderstood of the types of stories in the Bible.

Parables are of two types: one is a simple statement or description that is intended to spark an insight - usually into the nature of the Reign of God. A good example of that would be "The Reign of God is like leaven that a woman kneaded into some dough..."

Parables also can reveal much about behaviours and attitudes in relation to life in the Reign of God. This form of parable is not just a description or image leading to insight. Instead, as Megan McKenna points out, they become "arrows of God "which are designed to pierce our complacent reality and point to the reality of the Reign of God. She writes: “Parables don’t simply recount a clever tale. They start out that way, grounded in the most commonplace experiences and locations, but then they jerk the rug from under us, turning our world upside down and challenging some of our basic assumptions about ourselves, our neighbors, our world, our God. They grab our hearts and minds and twist them into a new position, a fresh awareness. And ultimately, of course, the insights and enlightenment they provide encourage us – drive us! – to change our way of being human, of being Christian.” (Megan McKenna, Parables: The Arrows of God, p. 2).

Take some time to read some of Jesus’ parables in Matthew’s gospel and consider what he is trying to communicate, given the audience he is addressing.

Your assignment is to re-write a parable that would be appropriate for your life today. Please set your parable up so that we know whom you are addressing and what kind of situation you wish to address.

Adaptations for ESL or students with IEPs:

a. The PowerPoint for this Lesson should be saved as a digital version that could be given to the student with appropriate blanks in a few places so they can learn vocabulary.

Extensions (for gifted students):

Appendix A

Pope Francis reflects on the Beatitudes in WYD 2014 message

Posted: Thursday, February 6, 2014 11:25 pm

Pope Francis has released a message for the 29th World Youth Day which will take place in dioceses around the world on Palm Sunday (13 April). In his message the Pope reflects on the meaning of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” and urges young people to use the revolutionary power of the Beatitudes as a central point of reference in their lives.

A translation in English of Pope Francis’ message follows below:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3)

Dear Young Friends,

How vividly I recall the remarkable meeting we had in Rio de Janeiro for the 28th World Youth Day. It was a great celebration of faith and fellowship! The wonderful people of Brazil welcomed us with open arms, like the statue of Christ the Redeemer which looks down from the hill of Corcovado over the magnificent expanse of Copacabana beach. There, on the seashore, Jesus renewed his call to each one of us to become his missionary disciples. May we perceive this call as the most important thing in our lives and share this gift with others, those near and far, even to the distant geographical and existential peripheries of our world.

The next stop on our intercontinental youth pilgrimage will be in Krakow in 2016. As a way of accompanying our journey together, for the next three years I would like to reflect with you on the Beatitudes found in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (5:1-12). This year we will begin by reflecting on the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). For 2015 I suggest: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). Then, in 2016, our theme will be: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7).

1. The revolutionary power of the Beatitudes

It is always a joyful experience for us to read and reflect on the Beatitudes! Jesus proclaimed them in his first great sermon, preached on the shore of the sea of Galilee. There was a very large crowd, so Jesus went up on the mountain to teach his disciples. That is why it is known as “the Sermon on the Mount”. In the Bible, the mountain is regarded as a place where God reveals himself. Jesus, by preaching on the mount, reveals himself to be a divine teacher, a new Moses. What does he tell us? He shows us the way to life, the way that he himself has taken. Jesus himself is the way, and he proposes this way as the path to true happiness. Throughout his life, from his birth in the stable in Bethlehem until his death on the cross and his resurrection, Jesus embodied the Beatitudes. All the promises of God’s Kingdom were fulfilled in him.

In proclaiming the Beatitudes, Jesus asks us to follow him and to travel with him along the path of love, the path that alone leads to eternal life. It is not an easy journey, yet the Lord promises us his grace and he never abandons us. We face so many challenges in life: poverty, distress, humiliation, the struggle for justice, persecutions, the difficulty of daily conversion, the effort to remain faithful to our call to holiness, and many others. But if we open the door to Jesus and allow him to be part of our lives, if we share our joys and sorrows with him, then we will experience the peace and joy that only God, who is infinite love, can give.

The Beatitudes of Jesus are new and revolutionary. They present a model of happiness contrary to what is usually communicated by the media and by the prevailing wisdom. A worldly way of thinking finds it scandalous that God became one of us and died on a cross! According to the logic of this world, those whom Jesus proclaimed blessed are regarded as useless, “losers”. What is glorified is success at any cost, affluence, the arrogance of power and self-affirmation at the expense of others.

Jesus challenges us, young friends, to take seriously his approach to life and to decide which path is right for us and leads to true joy. This is the great challenge of faith. Jesus was not afraid to ask his disciples if they truly wanted to follow him or if they preferred to take another path (cf. Jn 6:67). Simon Peter had the courage to reply: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). If you too are able to say “yes” to Jesus, your lives will become both meaningful and fruitful.

2. The courage to be happy

What does it mean to be “blessed” (makarioi in Greek)? To be blessed means to be happy. Tell me: Do you really want to be happy? In an age when we are constantly being enticed by vain and empty illusions of happiness, we risk settling for less and “thinking small” when it come to the meaning of life. Think big instead! Open your hearts! As Blessed Piergiorgio Frassati once said, “To live without faith, to have no heritage to uphold, to fail to struggle constantly to defend the truth: this is not living. It is scraping by. We should never just scrape by, but really live” (Letter to I. Bonini, 27 February 1925). In his homily on the day of Piergiorgio Frassati’s beatification (20 May 1990), John Paul II called him “a man of the Beatitudes” (AAS 82 [1990], 1518).

If you are really open to the deepest aspirations of your hearts, you will realize that you possess an unquenchable thirst for happiness, and this will allow you to expose and reject the “low cost” offers and approaches all around you. When we look only for success, pleasure and possessions, and we turn these into idols, we may well have moments of exhilaration, an illusory sense of satisfaction, but ultimately we become enslaved, never satisfied, always looking for more. It is a tragic thing to see a young person who “has everything”, but is weary and weak.

Saint John, writing to young people, told them: “You are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 Jn 2:14). Young people who choose Christ are strong: they are fed by his word and they do not need to ‘stuff themselves’ with other things! Have the courage to swim against the tide. Have the courage to be truly happy! Say no to an ephemeral, superficial and throwaway culture, a culture that assumes that you are incapable of taking on responsibility and facing the great challenges of life!

3. Blessed are the poor in spirit...

The first Beatitude, our theme for the next World Youth Day, says that the poor in spirit are blessed for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. At a time when so many people are suffering as a result of the financial crisis, it might seem strange to link poverty and happiness. How can we consider poverty a blessing? First of all, let us try to understand what it means to be “poor in spirit”. When the Son of God became man, he chose the path of poverty and self-emptying. As Saint Paul said in his letter to the Philippians: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in human likeness” (2:5-7). Jesus is God who strips himself of his glory. Here we see God’s choice to be poor: he was rich and yet he became poor in order to enrich us through his poverty (cf. 2 Cor 8:9). This is the mystery we contemplate in the crib when we see the Son of God lying in a manger, and later on the cross, where his self-emptying reaches its culmination.

The Greek adjective ptochós (poor) does not have a purely material meaning. It means “a beggar”, and it should be seen as linked to the Jewish notion of the anawim, “God’s poor”. It suggests lowliness, a sense of one’s limitations and existential poverty. The anawim trust in the Lord, and they know that they can count on him.

As Saint Therese of the Child Jesus clearly saw, by his incarnation Jesus came among us as a poor beggar, asking for our love. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “man is a beggar before God” (No. 2559) and that prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst and our own thirst (No. 2560).

Saint Francis of Assisi understood perfectly the secret of the Beatitude of the poor in spirit. Indeed, when Jesus spoke to him through the leper and from the crucifix, Francis recognized both God’s grandeur and his own lowliness. In his prayer, the Poor Man of Assisi would spend hours asking the Lord: “Who are you?” “Who am I?” He renounced an affluent and carefree life in order to marry “Lady Poverty”, to imitate Jesus and to follow the Gospel to the letter. Francis lived in imitation of Christ in his poverty and in love for the poor – for him the two were inextricably linked – like two sides of one coin.

You might ask me, then: What can we do, specifically, to make poverty in spirit a way of life, a real part of our own lives? I will reply by saying three things.

First of all, try to be free with regard to material things. The Lord calls us to a Gospel lifestyle marked by sobriety, by a refusal to yield to the culture of consumerism. This means being concerned with the essentials and learning to do without all those unneeded extras which hem us in. Let us learn to be detached from possessiveness and from the idolatry of money and lavish spending. Let us put Jesus first. He can free us from the kinds of idol-worship which enslave us. Put your trust in God, dear young friends! He knows and loves us, and he never forgets us. Just as he provides for the lilies of the field (cf. Mt 6:28), so he will make sure that we lack nothing. If we are to come through the financial crisis, we must be also ready to change our lifestyle and avoid so much wastefulness. Just as we need the courage to be happy, we also need the courage to live simply.

Second, if we are to live by this Beatitude, all of us need to experience a conversion in the way we see the poor. We have to care for them and be sensitive to their spiritual and material needs. To you young people I especially entrust the task of restoring solidarity to the heart of human culture. Faced with old and new forms of poverty – unemployment, migration and addictions of various kinds – we have the duty to be alert and thoughtful, avoiding the temptation to remain indifferent. We have to remember all those who feel unloved, who have no hope for the future and who have given up on life out of discouragement, disappointment or fear. We have to learn to be on the side of the poor, and not just indulge in rhetoric about the poor! Let us go out to meet them, look into their eyes and listen to them. The poor provide us with a concrete opportunity to encounter Christ himself, and to touch his suffering flesh. However – and this is my third point – the poor are not just people to whom we can give something. They have much to offer us and to teach us. How much we have to learn from the wisdom of the poor! Think about it: several hundred years ago a saint, Benedict Joseph Labré, who lived on the streets of Rome from the alms he received, became a spiritual guide to all sorts of people, including nobles and prelates. In a very real way, the poor are our teachers. They show us that people’s value is not measured by their possessions or how much money they have in the bank. A poor person, a person lacking material possessions, always maintains his or her dignity. The poor can teach us much about humility and trust in God. In the parable of the pharisee and the tax-collector (cf. Lk 18:9-14), Jesus holds the tax-collector up as a model because of his humility and his acknowledgment that he is a sinner. The widow who gave her last two coins to the temple treasury is an example of the generosity of all those who have next to nothing and yet give away everything they have (Lk 21:1-4).

4. … for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

The central theme of the Gospel is the kingdom of God. Jesus is the kingdom of God in person; he is Immanuel, God-with-us. And it is in the human heart that the kingdom, God’s sovereignty, takes root and grows. The kingdom is at once both gift and promise. It has already been given to us in Jesus, but it has yet to be realized in its fullness. That is why we pray to the Father each day: “Thy kingdom come”.

There is a close connection between poverty and evangelization, between the theme of the last World Youth Day – “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations!” (Mt 28:19) – and the theme for this year: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). The Lord wants a poor Church which evangelizes the poor. When Jesus sent the Twelve out on mission, he said to them: “Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the labourers deserve their food” (Mt 10:9-10). Evangelical poverty is a basic condition for spreading the kingdom of God. The most beautiful and spontaneous expressions of joy which I have seen during my life were by poor people who had little to hold onto.

Evangelization in our time will only take place as the result of contagious joy. We have seen, then, that the Beatitude of the poor in spirit shapes our relationship with God, with material goods and with the poor. With the example and words of Jesus before us, we realize how much we need to be converted, so that the logic of being more will prevail over that of having more! The saints can best help us to understand the profound meaning of the Beatitudes. So the canonization of John Paul II, to be celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, will be an event marked by immense joy. He will be the great patron of the World Youth Days which he inaugurated and always supported. In the communion of saints he will continue to be a father and friend to all of you.

This month of April marks the thirtieth anniversary of the entrustment of the Jubilee Cross of the Redemption to the young. That symbolic act by John Paul II was the beginning of the great youth pilgrimage which has since crossed the five continents. The Pope’s words on that Easter Sunday in 1984 remain memorable: “My dear young people, at the conclusion of the Holy Year, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of the love of the Lord Jesus for humanity, and proclaim to everyone that it is only in Christ, who died and rose from the dead, that salvation and redemption are to be found”.

Dear friends, the Magnificat, the Canticle of Mary, poor in spirit, is also the song of everyone who lives by the Beatitudes. The joy of the Gospel arises from a heart which, in its poverty, rejoices and marvels at the works of God, like the heart of Our Lady, whom all generations call “blessed” (cf. Lk 1:48). May Mary, Mother of the poor and Star of the new evangelization help us to live the Gospel, to embody the Beatitudes in our lives, and to have the courage always to be happy.

Source: VIS

Appendix B

PowerPoint on the Gospel of Matthew

CHAPTER FOUR Gospel of Mark: Jesus the Suffering Servant

Appendix C

What are Parables?

Parables and Parabolic Images in the Gospels by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

What is a "Parable"?

Definition: "At its simplest a parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought." (C. H. Dodd, The Parables of the Kingdom, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1961, p. 5)

Implications of this definition:

 The meaning of most parables is not so obvious, or at least it shouldn't be. If we assume we know what Jesus is talking about, we are probably missing the main point; if we are too familiar with the story (having heard it so often before), we might not think carefully enough about its real meaning.  Most parables contain some element that is strange or unusual. They should cause you to say, "Wait a minute! That's not how farmers do their work! That's not what kings usually do! That's not what normally happens in nature!" And this strange element should cause you to think!  Parables do not define things precisely, but rather use comparisons to describe some aspect of how God acts or interacts with human beings. Yet to say "A is like B" does not mean that "A is identical to B in all respects"; so one should be careful not to misinterpret or misapply the parables.

"Parables"; by James C. Christensen; from Swoyer's Fine Art & Collectibles

The Purpose of the Parables?

We might think that Jesus spoke in parables to make it easier for people to understand his message. According to the Gospels, however, he surprisingly does NOT expect everyone to understand them! This is clearly expressed in Matthew 13:10-17:

10 Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them [the crowds] in parables?" 11 He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 13 The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' (cf. Isa 6:9-10) 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15 For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn--and I would heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

In Matthew, at least the disciples of Jesus understand the parables; but in Mark, even they have a hard time understanding, despite receiving extra instructions in private! Yes." (Matt 13:51) not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13) it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. (Mark 4:33-34).

Biblical Terminology:

The Greek word is used a total of 50 times in the New Testament (13 times in Mark, 17 in Matthew, 18 in Luke, and twice in Hebrews, but never in John). It always refers to some type of “figure of speech” or “literary comparison”; it is usually translated “parable” in English, but sometimes also “lesson” (Mark 13:28; Matt 24:32), “proverb” (Luke 4:23), “symbol” (Heb 9:9), or “figuratively speaking” (Heb 11:19, all in the NRSV).

Greek parabolē is used in the following NT verses:

 Mark 3:23; 4:2, 10, 11, 13a, 13b, 30, 33, 34; 7:17; 12:1, 12; 13:28  Matthew 13:3, 10, 13, 18, 24, 31, 33, 34a, 34b, 35, 36, 53; 15:15; 21:33, 45; 22:1; 24:32  Luke 4:23; 5:36; 6:39; 8:4, 9, 10, 11; 12:16, 41; 13:6; 14:7; 15:3; 18:1, 9; 19:11; 20:9, 19; 21:29  Hebrews 9:9; 11:19

A related Greek word, παροιμία (paroimia), which also refers to some type of “figure of speech,” is used only in John 10:6; 16:25; 16:29; and 2 Peter 2:22. Not all the stories or figures of speech identified by biblical scholars as parables are explicitly called “parables” in the New Testament itself. This page lists all Gospel texts normally identified by scholars as parables, as well as related texts dealing with Jesus' use of parables.