Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

[yhwhshalomjr]

Originally Posted by GoddessofRandomThoughts

A parable is a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

Everyone loves a story! Stories are fun yet informative.

You tell a story people are receptive. They listen, they absorb, they retell.

You preach and people shut down.

The story of the Prodigal son is known by christians and non christians. it has been repeated and rewritten many, many times.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prodigal_Son

One of the points of the parable is Unconditional Forgiveness. I don't claim to be a scholar nor all that religious so I will leave it to you to find the other meanings.

Years of catholic schools strikes again!

One of the points of the parable is Unconditional Forgiveness. I don't claim to be a scholar nor all that religious so I will leave it to you to find the other meanings.

Another important facet that is often overlooked with the parable of The Prodigal Son is also "Love", and I imagine that you would have to have agape love to forgive

[sean98125]

Jesus taught in parables because humans are designed to learn through metaphor. We learn by comparing one thing to another. It makes sense that God would teach us in the most effective way according to how He created us.

[goldengrain]

Originally Posted by sean98125

Jesus taught in parables because humans are designed to learn through metaphor. We learn by comparing one thing to another. It makes sense that God would teach us in the most effective way according to how He created us.

I think there are many different ways of spiritual learning.
The Asian martial arts were developed in monestaries to enable spiritual growth by personality types who are more physical and less introspective.

There are people who have less heart and are more mentally-oriented, and are attracted to the logic behind religious philosophies. They will never accept just on someone's authority, but on figuring things out for themselves.

There are those among us who understand service and love of others.

I think god created as many paths to him/it as people. The Gnostics, as in many religions, instruct us to find god by looking within. So, if we nurture who we are and are open minded and learn from the lessons of our own lives, we cannot help but meet god. We may not call him that, but what's in a name, anyway?

Not everyone has a 'religious' bent, but we are all spiritual beings. That these people are not members of a formal church or readers of a particuar book do not make them less entitled to their spiritual inheritance than those of us who do.