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  Session 4 Video

• Parables are not unique to Jesus—what he did with them is somewhat unique.

• There were Hasidic tales, Sufi stories, and Zen anecdotes. Some say there were Buddhist and Chinese ones. Supposedly Aesop’s fables can be traced to Syrian origins.

• But we have some OT ones, and Judaism has its fair share.

  • The best one (2 Sam. 12:1-14)

  • Others:

    • 2 Sam. 14:1-20 Joab sent woman from Tekoa to David—parable of two sons.

    • 1 Kings 20:35-42 Parable of the Disguised Prophet.

    • Judges 9:7-15 Parable of the Olive Tree and Thorn Bush .

    • 2 Kings 14:9-10 Parable of the Thistle and Cedar.

    • Eze. 16:1-54 Parable of Unfaithful Israel; 17:2-24 Parable of the 2 Eagles and the Vine; 19:2-9 Parable of the Lions and Cubs; 19:10-14 Parable of the Vine and Vineyard; 23:1-49 Parable of Two Sisters; 24:3-14 Parable of the Pot.

• Rabbinic ones are much shorter. One in the Mishna (Niddah 5:2, 7 and 9).

• Greco-Roman Ones are actually closer in form to how Jesus taught.

  • They tend to be more poetic than those of Christ.

  • Seneca used ones that were primarily interrogative parables.

  • Later they tended in the direction of persuasion.

• Jesus drew upon some of these AND the people to whom Jesus spoke had a reservoir from which to draw to interpret them.