Philosophy: Jesus' Parables

[Shekinahs]

Matthew 13:9-14

He who has ears, let him hear." The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

How about discussing the philosophy of the different parables of Jesus Each person gets different understandings from the parables...and that is the purpose. The parables teach us all differently and teach us what we need to know at that given time. How about we all put our take on different parables as we see them.

I'll start with the parable "The Barren Fig Tree"

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

To me this speaks of the student/teacher relationship. The "fig tree" is the student and the owner of the wisdom school is the owner of the vineyard. The person who takes care of the vineyard is the teacher. The vineyard is the school of wisdom and knowledge. And for three years the teacher teaches the student but the student bears no fruit of the instruction. The owner of the school of wisdom and knowledge sees no fruit in the student and feels the teachings of wisdom and knowledge (the soil) could be taught to another "fig tree". The teacher begs the owner of the school for one more year with the student saying he will "dig around it and fertilize it" meaning he will enhance the methods of his teaching and if after a year there is still no fruit from the student the student can leave and be replaced with another.

To me this says no matter how "fruitless" someone is during spiritual studies to never give up on them. Maybe change the way we are presenting the wisdom of God but to never give up on them. They may be a late bloomer

 

[Chriswoods83]

Hmmm sorry to mess up the pattern you set. Just wanted to agree that yeah we are all supposed to get something different out of parables, in fact we are all suposed to get something different out every verse.

No there is only ONE principle behind every parable. Principle being a timeless truth. But we all pull out different applications to that principle. Well I look foward to see the different views on the parables.

Thanks Chris

 

[Chriswoods83]

oh yeah what verse is that parable i cant find it anywhere!?!? Am I blind cause its not matthew 13:6-9

 

[lucid42day]

To me this says no matter how "fruitless" someone is during spiritual studies to never give up on them. Maybe change the way we are presenting the wisdom of God but to never give up on them. They may be a late bloomer

Or doomed:

Matt 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Matt 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

Never understood that.

 

[Lucubratus]

oh yeah what verse is that parable i cant find it anywhere!?!? Am I blind cause its not matthew 13:6-9

That's an interesting philosophical question right there. How come the bible chapters don't all say the same thing, when it's supposed to be the word of God? (in this case Jesus' parables) I have two different bibles here and both of them don't have the parable of the fig tree under Mathew 13: 6-9 though it does talk about sowing and reaping and people hearing what they're going to hear, and seeing what they shall see even when they think they're looking right at it, regardless.
Umm...maybe I just answered my own philosophical question. Whoever printed this bible decided to omit the fig tree.... or added it to someone else's.

 

[lucid42day]

That's an interesting philosophical question right there. How come the bible chapters don't all say the same thing, when it's supposed to be the word of God? (in this case Jesus' parables) I have two different bibles here and both of them don't have the parable of the fig tree under Mathew 13: 6-9 though it does talk about sowing and reaping and people hearing what they're going to hear, and seeing what they shall see even when they think they're looking right at it, regardless.
Umm...maybe I just answered my own philosophical question. Whoever printed this bible decided to omit the fig tree.... or added it to someone else's.

Different versions and editions can have large differences. For instance, my Catholic (I think) bible clearly has two Genesis stories; two different creation accounts. The annotations note them and state that the second one is the older one. The two stories are not mutually compatible. Some other version (I don't remember exactly which version) had somehow completely omitted this second, older story.