Parables

Basic Info

The Gospels report that Jesus often taught using parables. Parables are stories with a twist. They set up expectations about how the story is going to end, and then they make a sharp turn and upset all of the expectations. Remember parabolas in algebra class? Same concept. The story starts going in one direction and then makes a U-turn. Parables work because of the human tendency to look for a logical chain of cause and effect; our innate appreciation of probability suggests that a set of causes is going to naturally lead to a particular effect. The inherent surprise in Jesus’ parables is similar to the power of art to break though one’s expectations.

Jesus' parables as told to a 1^st-century audience tended to set up expectations about social and familial conventions, racial stereotypes, and economic or employment situations. He also sometimes used nature as his examples. The challenge today is that we don’t have the same set of expectations as Jesus’ original audience, so the stories don’t necessarily have the same impact today as they did in First Century Galilee. 

This section offers support for interpreting parables whose presence in the art tradition is too small for a separate section. The art tradition has not always appreciated the narrative complexity of parables. Sometimes they are depicted as simple morality tales.

Historical Notes

Most of Jesus' parables have not been wildly popular in the art tradition, though sometimes a bunch of them are depicted in a single artwork. The Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Rich Man and Lazarus are exceptions.

What to Look For

• Before you look closely, try to recall the story (or look it up in an online Bible if you have Internet access) well enough to figure out the expectation and the twist.
• Elements of the artwork that set up the expectation (fairness for workers, treatment of guests, response to betrayal, racial / ethnic prejudice, familial obligations, being prepared, religious obligations, etc.)
• Elements of the artwork that reference the perspective shift (This isn’t very common but does show up sometimes. The idea is that the parable is about a shift from human perspective to God’s perspective. Is the artist playing with perspective in a way that telegraphs the story’s change in perspective?)
• Elements of the artwork that expose the twist (The unexpected behavior is the truth-telling in the story.)
• Whether the artwork references God explicitly

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Is this a portrayal of a simple morality tale, or does it manage to capture something of the complexity of the audience expectation and the U-turn in the story?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

What expectations do you have that parallel the expectations of the parable as depicted in the artwork (fairness for workers, treatment of guests, response to betrayal, racial / ethnic prejudice, familial obligations, being prepared, religious obligations, etc.)? Does the artwork turn any of your personal expectations upside down?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation

What might have been going on in the artist’s time and place that would parallel the expectations of Jesus’ original audience (fairness for workers, treatment of guests, response to betrayal, racial / ethnic prejudice, familial obligations, being prepared, religious obligations, etc.)? Might the artist have been trying to present Jesus’ twist for her or his own time and place?

To explore artworks of specific parables, try the links below:

• The Good Samaritan
• The Prodigal or Lost Son
• The Rich Man (Dives) and Lazarus
• The Wise and Foolish Virgins