Category:Parables

Jesus Teaches the People by the Sea - James Tissot

The parable is a teaching method based on an image comparison using a story. The Hebrew word mâshâl, like its Greek translation parabolê, indicates the comparative foundation. It is found in the introductory words of Jesus: "is like ...", "to those who resemble them..."   It was indeed one of the methods of the rhetoric of the rabbis. Often the character of the "king" in these parables referred to God who could be named thus indirectly. In the Gospel, this comparison is used several times by Jesus. The Son of the king being the referent.

This oratory art is present in the Old Testament^[1] or Bible before Jesus, but Jesus uses it abundantly^[2], even recommending its use in evangelization^[3].  

If only four or five parables are found in the Old Testament, we find ten times more in the Gospel.

Maria Valtorta restores them all, adequately illuminating their meaning as with the parable of the talents, but she also mentions some unpublished ones.

The Parable, common form of Hebrew oratory art: the Mâshâl - Daniel-Rops[edit | edit source]

The Hebrew art of speaking had nothing in common with what the Greeks and Romans meant by eloquence. And Saint Paul himself could see this in Athens, where his failure was total! The arrangement of ideas, logical demonstration, everything Cicero taught us to consider fundamental in oratory was radically foreign to the Israelite spirit — as it also is to the Muslim spirit. The art of speaking consisted not so much in convincing by reasoning as in establishing contact with the sensitivity of the audience. The master of words was one who perfected the technical means used by doctors of the Law, even schoolmasters: alliterations, correspondences, parallelisms, rhythms. Great eloquence naturally approached poetry. Although there were no precise rules or clearly fixed procedures, as known in Greek or Roman poetry, it often happened that speech was cadenced in verses, often with uneven rhythm, even in strophes with refrains.

As for the content itself, the master of words was recognized by several traits. He was able to pepper his discourse with many quotations from the Holy Book, or with allusions that every listener would recognize in passing: for example, when John the Baptist exclaimed: "I am the voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord!" he was quoting the prophet Isaiah word for word and his audience knew it. Every assertion had to be buttressed by the word of God. The great "orator" could multiply developments on a theme, like a musician improvises variations on a given melodic phrase (...) But above all, a master in the art of speaking had to be an expert in mâshâl.

The notion of mâshâl is fundamental for understanding what Israelite eloquence could be; we find its application in countless passages of written literature, Old or New Testament, but fundamentally it is linked to speech. The Hebrew language, concise, colorful, is awkward when it comes to translating abstractions and higher realities: it manages through images, symbols, and comparisons. This is entirely consistent with Israelite psychology, whose power of intuition is extraordinary, immediately seeing the topical, realistic, familiar trait, and excelling at drawing a lesson from it. The mâshâl was precisely that, a way of considering a case or situation from real life, so that the mind and imagination seize it to erect it as a typical case or to raise a problem. This very oriental procedure was not a game at all, because every mâshâl had to be formulated with a view to life conduct and refer, at least implicitly, to religion.

The Greek version of the Septuagint often translates the word mâshâl as parabolè, but it would be wrong to believe that all meshâlim were "parables" in the sense we give the word: the proof is that in Hebrew the biblical book of Proverbs is entitled Meshâlim. The root of this word indeed evokes the idea of "resembling" or "comparing", but its meaning was broader. (...)

The "parable" in the sense we give the word, that is, a short story with the appearance of a fable, from which a moral or spiritual lesson emerges more or less clearly, was therefore one of the forms of the mâshâl, one of the ways to draw out from the concrete fact a striking development. This genre was much used. (...)

The Talmud contains hundreds of them, many quite picturesque. (...) The genre of mâshâl-parable seems even, at the time of Christ, to have somewhat fossilized in the art of the rabbis, because the same comparisons recur very often among them, and often the writing lacks force and life.

That Jesus knew the mâshâl and practiced it is obvious. It was certainly impossible for a Jew of his time not to have heard one or another formulate, and subsequently repeat through intermediaries, these ingenious little stories. We even find in the Talmud "parables" that are about his own, for example one about the guests at a wedding feast, one about the foolish virgins. He practiced all traditional forms of mâshâl: the saying "Physician, heal yourself!" cited by Saint Luke is a mâshâl; the short sentence on "what enters the mouth of a man" reported by Saint Matthew is a mâshâl, and among the meshâlim-parables, there are many types, of various lengths, and very different tones.

What is evident, when comparing the Gospel parables to those in the Talmudic treatises, is their new character. Nothing stereotyped or conventional; one feels that the comparison spontaneously sprang from the orator’s lips; it is simple, precise, with an inimitable tone — not found in the Acts of the Apostles and even less in the apocryphal Gospels — true signature of the Master. The Gospel parable, "starting from the humblest realities, clearly reflects the highest concepts; understandable to the ignorant, it lends itself to meditation by the learned. Literarily devoid of any artifice, it surpasses in emotional power the most elaborated literary artifices. It does not amaze, but persuades, it knows not only how to conquer but how to convince. From the word parable came the word word. Would this derivation mean that Jesus' parable is the highest word that has risen from man, and, at the same time, the one which coming from God has descended the lowest?"^[4]

In "The Gospel as it was revealed to me"[edit | edit source]

During the first year of Public Life[edit | edit source]

• The parable of the preferred horse: The Lord did not lack goodness towards his people. Although they lacked faithfulness, thousands and tens of thousands of times. This parable, despite its improbabilities, clearly demonstrates the pedagogy of the oratory art of the Mâshâl.^[5]
• The "parable" of the ants: They are ants. Nothing but ants. And yet they are strong because they are united.^[6]
• Parable of differently cultivated fields: Well, the same applies to hearts. I am the Share and My word is the Fire, to prepare men for the eternal triumph.^[7]

During the second year of Public Life[edit | edit source]

• Parable of the sower^[8]
• Comments on the parable of the sower - Why parables^[9]
• Parable of the wheat and the weeds: at Korazim. The next day after telling the parable of the Sower.^[10]
• The Kingdom of God compared to a grain sown that sprouts^[11]
• Parable of the mustard seed^[12] – Magdala. These two parables are linked with Mary of Magdala (Magdalene) still a sinner. Comments^[13] and ^[14]
• Parable of the rich man and Poor Lazarus - Paradise and Hell^[15] - Esdraelon among the peasants of Doras and Johanan ben Zaccai in consolation of their hard life.^[16]
• Parable of the prodigal son^[17] told at Bethany, second Passover. This parable is addressed to John of Endor, repentant murderer. "I will speak to everybody, but I will tell you how God loves you." ^[18]
• The parable of the ten virgins commented on by Jesus at Bethany: the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who went out, carrying their lamps, to meet the bridegroom^[19]
• Parable of the king who makes the wedding feast for his son, told at Bethany: Then he said to his servants: "The wedding is ready, but the guests were not worthy. Go therefore to the highways and invite to the wedding all whom you find."^[20]
• Parable of the lost sheep^[21]
• Parable of the fishermen: good and bad fish, abandoned and chosen^[22]
• The parable of the found coin.^[23] Magdala, as public testimony of the conversion of Mary of Magdala (Magdalene). Comments: ^[24] and ^[25]
• Parable of the leper: parallel between the healing of a leper and the healing of a sinner.^[26]
• Parable of the miners concerning Ermasteus, persistent fisherman from the port of Ashkelon.^[27]
• Parable of the vine and the elm stake that ends up strangling it (faith).^[28]
• Parable of the hard kernel sprouting in the ground.^[29]
• Parable of the rich fool: "Fool, tonight your soul will be demanded of you. And what you have stored up, whose will it be?"^[30]
• Parable of the forgiven debts^[31]: A man had no way to repay the money; so his master ordered him to be sold as a slave and also to sell his wife, his children, and all he had, in order to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees before his master and said: Have patience with me and I will repay you all!^[32]
• The parable of the talents, in response to a scribe who questions him about the rewards granted to different categories of "believers" - Jerusalem, in the Temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles of the second year.^[33]
• Parable of the good Samaritan^[34] - At the Temple, during the same feast, to a doctor of the Law who tries to trap him.^[35]

During the third year of Public Life[edit | edit source]

• Parable of the workers of the eleventh hour: Alexandros scene of Phoenicia before a cosmopolitan audience, to urge all peoples to conversion.^[36]
• Parable of the banquet where all the guests shirk.^[37] Not to be confused with Mt 22:2-10 which is reported in GRM 206 and GRM 335.
• Parable of the barren fig tree^[38] to illustrate perseverance in evangelization that had just suffered a setback at Korazim^[39]
• Parable of the Good Shepherd, told to the young Benjamin.^[40]
• Parable of the Dishonest Steward. The rich can also be saved while being rich^[41]
• Parable of the steep path.^[42]
• Parable of the two sons: spiritual portrait of Judas.^[43]
• Parable of the two sons who go to the vineyard.^[44]
• Parable of the sculptor who makes perfect works with clumsy apprentices.^[45]
• Parable of the king who sends his children into the world with the same two precious coins: time and free will. Judgment of the king, symbol of the Last Judgment.^[46]
• The work of the vine applied to the work of the soul: The man entrusts his uncultivated vineyard to the one who works it: free will; and he begins to cultivate it. Esdraelon Plain, June/July of the 3rd year.^[47]
• Parable of the varnished wood: At the beginning I told you that paint is like the ornament of virtues on human hearts. It adorns and protects wood from wood-worm, from rain, from the sun.^[48]
• Parables of Mary, the flour and the cloth intended for Aurea Galla.^[49]
• Simon the Zealot tells the parable of the vine in the midst of the world to illustrate the necessity of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.^[50]
• Parable of the uncompromising boatman: inspired by an attitude of Peter towards the Romans on the lake.^[51]
• Parable of the two sons who follow the ten monuments (commandments) climbing a mountain.^[52]
• Parable of the water distribution: rich people are only the depositaries of the wealth granted to them by God with instructions to distribute it to those who suffer.^[53]
• Parable of the pomegranate: To what shall I compare the world in general, and Palestine in particular [...] I will compare her to this pomegranate.^[54]  
• Parable of the powerful king, whose kingdom was very vast, and who wanted one day to visit his subjects.^[55]  
• Parable of the widow and the unjust judge^[56]
• Parable of the different houses of the Father: "In the House of My Father there are no separations or dif­ferences for those who believe in Him and practise His Law, which is the code of His will, that man may live righteously to obtain the eternal reward in His Kingdom."^[57]
• Parable of the rich man and the poor child: choosing love rather than wealth.^[58]
• Short parable on the spirit which rises and the one which descends.^[59]
• Parable of the sick who heal.^[60]
• Parable of the publican and the Tax Collector^[61]
• Parable of the drop of water on the hard stone.^[62]
• Parable of the soul compared to a garment.^[63]
• Parable of the badly advised - Shiloh.^[64]
• Second parable of the badly advised - Lebonah.^[65]
• Third and last parable on the badly advised.^[66]
• Parable of the rich young man: "So tell me, good Master, what shall I have to do to have eternal life?"^[67]

In other works of Maria Valtorta[edit | edit source]

Notebooks 1943[edit | edit source]

• Catechesis of June 21: As you (Father Migliorini) see, since I was not disturbed by useless chit-chat, I was able to write under dictation, and, after removing and re-writing a word badly written on the first page, there are no erasures. I like this parable of the waters a lot. It refreshes my soul and my flesh, which is burning with fever, like my soul, which is always afraid of erring. I indeed have some spiritual avarice and strip myself reluctantly of the gifts the good Jesus gives me. I feel I am tearing out a piece of my heart and throwing it under the feet of others. But I will correct myself. As you see, from my bed, with Jesus taking me by the hand, I have made a nice trip to the lands of the South. I would never have imagined it when I woke up this morning from a short, uninterrupted sleep… Jesus knows I like to travel, and He took me among palms and gazelles.
• Catechesis of June 28: Now I will explain to you two points in the Gospel. One is from Matthew^[68], and one, from Luke.^[69] In reality, they are a single parable, but it is expressed with a few differences. It should not cause astonishment that these differences are found in my evangelists. When they wrote those pages, they were still men-already chosen, but not yet glorified.
• Catechesis of July 10: "Listen, Maria. Do you know the parable about that father who had two sons: one says, 'Yes, my father', and then does nothing; the other says, 'No, my father', and then does what the father asks of him?
• Catechesis of August 12 : "Soul of mine, listen to the parable of the pearl. A grain of sand moved by the waves of the sea is swallowed by the valves of the mollusk. A rough common pebble, a minuscule fragment of rock, a chip of pumice-all these things that don't warrant a look from man."    
• Catechesis of October 4: (death of her mother) "There is a parable of mine which I present to you in this hour. It is that of the sterile fig tree. Do not weep, Maria. You already know who I want to refer to. Do not weep. "With your mother I used the same care as would a vinekeeper for the sluggish plant. Praise Me for it, Maria, for I used infinite mercy towards the soul that was so dear to you."
• Catechesis of November 10: Maria, write the explanation of the parable of the sower once again. I will dictate it to you for a special group of persons whose error saddens Me. An error of imprudence in some; an error of pride in others; an error of rebelliousness in still others; and of scandal in the other group.

Notebooks 1944[edit | edit source]

• Catechesis of June 14: Are you Samaritans? I know. But my parable speaks of a Good Samaritan who treats the wounds not treated by the children of the Law who pass by, absorbed in the hurry of serving God. They do not know that God is served more by loving than by performing practices.
• Catechesis of June 21: And hear this parable for you. A man loves a woman. He has seen she is beautiful. He has been told she is good, pure, and modest, and he has felt an affection arising in his heart and, with the affection, the hope of being able to possess that woman as a wife and make her the pearl of his house. "He has himself introduced to her relatives and asks them for the young woman. They grant her to him. And he, with a thousand attentions, tries to conquer her affection [...]
• Catechesis of June 29: And life... Oh, life, once over, never returns! You are given an hour of eternity, a moment of eternity, to conquer Eternity. Have you never considered that this motif could be applied to the parable of the money Luke^[70] speaks about? You are given one coin of eternity.
• Catechesis of July 22: (Vision of the martyrdom of Saint Cecilia) When the Gospel reading is over‑it is sung by a young deacon‑the Pontiff gets up. I designate him in this way because I hear a mother indicating this to her child, who is rather restless. The passage selected was the parable of the ten virgins, wise and foolish.^[71] The Pontiff says, "Proper to virgins, this parable is addressed to all souls, for the merits of the Blood of the Savior and Grace restore virginity to souls and make them like children waiting for the Spouse. [...]
• Catechesis of October 20: You needed to come to forgive to deserve to have Me as a Teacher in the manner in which you have Me. From this consider what merit forgiveness possesses. In addition, reflect and comprehend by way of a parable. The present times can enable you to savor it better than the normal times, when you perceived only the taste of breadwithout experiencing the difficulty of producing it. "A woman wants to make bread for her family. She has abundant and good wheat. She has the material suitable for kneading it and water and an oven‑everything. But she doesn't have yeast [...]
• Catechesis of November 25: You are a nonentity. But into your 'nothingness' I entered and said, 'See, speak, and write.' The nonentity has become my instrument. And what is mine is always consecrated and should be treated as something consecrated. Hear the parable. At a goldsmith's there are different silver goblets, some of them embossed and with art and inlaid work in gold and also gems, and others that are beautiful only because of the metal and their smooth, flared shape, like the calyx of a lily on a thin stem. [...]

Notebooks 1945-1950[edit | edit source]

• Catechesis of January 7, 1946: It is a presumptuous root which is precisely the one harming the plant. It has chosen its own way, which is not the right way. It is the strongest root, but also the most harmful one. Either give in or I'll break it. And then you will truly suffer. For even Infinite Love must be just for your good. And to yield to your pride would be unjust to you, whom I have created for my garden.' The little plant? Obstinate, it did not yield. And Jesus? Clack! He took the shears and cut the proud, stubborn root and carried the plant, weeping with pain over the cut and the crushed whim, to his flowerbed. This is the parable, daughter and spouse. Are you able to meditate on it and apply the result? I'll help you because I am the Master. Listen. My spouses are the flowering plants.
• Catechesis of January 7, 1947: Same "Sunday of the Holy Family" from the Book of Azariah.
• Catechesis of September 30, 1947: In the parables I spoke simply because I was addressing crowds of common folk. But when I spoke to cultured minds‑Israelite or Roman or Greek‑I spoke as was most appropriate for perfect Wisdom.

Book of Azariah[edit | edit source]

• Sunday of the Holy Family, 1st Sunday after Epiphany: I have been living in the joy of the first days of the year. What great joy! How many intimate lessons from Jesus in my long nights of infirmity! What love! Since the night of January 2‑3 He has removed from me that agony in my stomach which yielded to nothing, and then.... This morning the sweet parable of the two lamps. But if He does not order me to write it down, I won't. He now gives me many secret, most delicate lessons, but tells me it is useless for me to write them. And I obey.

Lessons on the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans[edit | edit source]

• Lesson No. 25 (7-11 June 1948): This is your wedding garment, the garment which Jesus spoke of in the parable of the banquet for the royal wedding.^[72] And woe betide whoever does not spin and weave his wedding garment during his earthly day by drawing materials to spin and instruments to weave from the assiduous inner will to do what the Law of God proposes or what God presents, and from the continual struggle between the will of the inner man and the law of sin that is in his members, or between good will and how much evil surrounds you: the world, and he who tempts you: the devil. Woe betide those who do not weave their wedding garment daily and who do not adorn it with conquered gems by suffering the "great tribulation" which makes them worthy of remaining around the throne of the Lamb with the palm branches of the victorious in their hands!
• Lesson No. 36 (25-4-50): [...] If one were to think on the contrary, that is, that God predisposes things not for the purpose of good, one might as well say that even the predestination to grace is an evil because it often becomes the talent that was not made to bear fruit in the parable,^[73] so much so that the slothful servant, from the unjust judgement towards his master, has the same [master] then take the talent from him in order to give it to others more capable of making it bear fruit.
• Lesson No. 43 (1-9-50): At other times, and in c. 22 of Matthew and in the 14th and 18th c. of Luke, He had taught that not all who are called remain elect, when, swollen with pride, they fail towards the benevolent King, and how the first seats in the Kingdom and in the Heavenly banquet are for those on Earth who were humble and charitable towards the poor, and how the prayer of the humble is appreciated by God, and disdainful that of the one who is proud and judges himself perfect only because he has the outward appearance of the Law.
  The Master spoke for all. However, who did He bear in mind, who was indicated underneath the veil of the parables and the lessons? Peter: the humble one who had been exalted for his simple and great humility; Judas of Kerioth, who had been lowered for his arrogance, triple concupiscence, the exteriority of the Law, and his friendship with Christ and his reckoning as an adult - an astute adult - and consequently, even a sigh was made with a two-fold end. Peter: the child, even if an adult, to whom the spiritual Kingdom as Pope and the heavenly one as saint was given. Judas: the wise vainglorious one, who for having become malevolent to the infinitely benevolent King, was thrown out from the Kingdom of God into darkness and infernal torment.

In fundamental Christian texts[edit | edit source]

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church[edit | edit source]

• CCC § 546: Jesus invites entrance into the Kingdom through parables, a typical feature of his teaching.^[74] Through them, He invites to the feast of the Kingdom,^[75] but He also demands a radical choice: to acquire the Kingdom, one must give everything;^[76] words are not enough, deeds are necessary.^[77] Parables are like mirrors for the man: does he receive the word like hard soil or like good earth?^[78] What does he do with the talents received?^[79] Jesus and the presence of the Kingdom in this world are secretly at the heart of the parables. One must enter the Kingdom, that is, become a disciple of Christ to "know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven".^[80] For those who remain "outside",^[81] all remains enigmatic.^[82]

Notes and references[edit | edit source]