Parable Of Jesus Research Paper

Many of Jesus’ teachings come in the form of parables. Why does Jesus teach in parable form? Are the parables that Jesus teaches straightforward or do they have an underlining meaning? “Jesus often introduced the parables by saying, “The kingdom of God may be compared to” and then went on to tell a common story or give a well-known illustration from life in the world about Him, without giving a direct clue as to the true meaning of the parable” (Kiehl, 1981) Jesus “explains that he speaks in parables because those who lack understanding – false disciples – fall under the judgement of losing understanding (parables puzzle them)” (Gundry, 2012, pp. 209-210). Jesus uses parables in His teachings to impart wisdom to other believers. Jesus’ …show more content…
In this parable a rich, young ruler questions Jesus as to what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answers by stating that the young ruler needed to “Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me” (Mark 10:21b). When the young ruler heard this he was saddened, but he walked away, unable to give up his possessions. Jesus is pointing out we have a choice, but only one will lead to eternal treasures. People argue over this verse, some stating that Jesus wants a believer to give up everything while others state that Jesus was speaking metaphorically and nothing needs to be given up. Jesus was making a point, anything that gets in our way of worshipping God needs to be removed. It is very easy for possessions to take a higher priority over God, especially today with technological gadgets that allow us instant gratification, but Jesus wants believers to be aware of that trap and to take appropriate measures so that God remains first in our lives. As believers, anything that hinders our spiritual growth needs to be removed from our lives. On the surface, this parable seems to be about money or possessions, but as you ponder what Jesus is saying you realize that at the core of this teaching Jesus is discussing heart issues. R.T. Kendall (2004) states, “We think we are detached from temporal things, until the crunch comes; then we realize the grip they have on us” (p. 187). Matthew 6:21 sums this up by stating, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. So many times as believers, we allow our possessions to represent who we are, forgetting that everything we have comes from God. The young ruler believed that possessions were all he needed to satisfy himself, not thinking about his