Question: Did Jesus always speak in parables? Did he ever speak normal to people? Also how do we know that Jesus's teachings of hell wasn't just Figurative Language or another parable? Profile: N/A
Jesus did not always speak in parables. He used them as a tool to help us understand hard teachings. Parables are an effective means of storytelling. People are less threatened and more receptive to stories that do not seem to directly involve them. Yet upon reflection, individuals may personalize the messages and relate them to their lives. Jesus explained why He used parables: “This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand (Isaiah 6:9-10). In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah” (Matthew 13:13-15; Luke 8:10, 10:23-4).
In many instances Jesus spoke directly and plainly to everyday people in ways they would understand. Read Matthew 19:16-28 where Jesus tells a young rich man what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus says he must love God, love his neighbors, not sin, and, finally, and most painfully for this young man, sell his “possessions and give them to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” This may raise the issue of whether a Christian can ‘work his way into heaven’ without faith or the grace of God only, but that is a different subject for a different day.
Other examples (of many) of Jesus as plain speaker can be found when he heals a woman who touched his robe (Matthew 9:20-22) and restores sight to a blind man (Mark 10:47-52). In both cases Jesus explains to these everyday people that their faith healed them. The message was imparted directly, without sharing a parable about the power of belief.
Perhaps the most significant examples of Jesus speaking plainly and directly to His flock appear in His famous “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5:3 – 7:28). He directs followers to be honest and straightforward; love enemies; do just acts for right reasons; seek first the Kingdom of God; not judge others without first judging yourself; and much more.
Jesus also discusses hell many times, but in several cases he addresses it obliquely by referring to the goodness and glory of eternal life and, by inference, its opposite --hell. In two cases, in parables (Loaned Money, Final Judgment: Matthew 25:14-41), He addresses the state of hell as ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’, ‘darkness’, where sheep and goats are separated, etc. Yet, even in the parable of Final Judgment, Jesus clearly – not figuratively – states “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus plainly describes hell as a place of eternal fire.
Also, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus alludes indirectly to heaven and hell when he says “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees…you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20), and “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate…that leads to destruction…But small is the gate…that leads to life, and only few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Please read the four gospels books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and especially the book of John. In the Bible, there are nearly 2,050 verses where Jesus speaks, about 1,260 of them are not duplicated within the four gospels nor appear in other books (Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Revelation). Within that relatively short narrative, all the wealth and glory of our Lord’s teachings are given to us, and you will find ample evidence of both figurative language and clear, plain talk. You will find Jesus Christ using words and concepts that speak to people who learn and understand in different manners. He does this so each and every individual can develop a meaningful and personal relationship with Him throughout time and when facing various circumstances.
Used by permission from GotQuestions.org.
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