II. Why did Jesus teach in parables?
             III. What major parables did he teach?
             IV. What is the meaning of each parable?
             V. Personal interpretation of each parable
             What is a parable? A parable is a short, simple story that expresses some teaching point. A.M. Hunter offers this definition: "A comparison drawn from nature or daily life and designed to illuminate some spiritual truth, on the assumption that what is valid in one sphere is valid also in another" (Arrington 432). Jesus uses parables to confront his audience with the realities of God's kingdom.
             Why did Jesus teach in parables? Jesus told his disciples (Matthew 13:10-17) "To you it has been given the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn to me to heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did !
             not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
             What major parables did Jesus teach? Th
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