a Parable or Two

a Parable or Two

Luke 16-18

It is pretty widely known that the Savior chose to speak to his disciples in the form of a parable- or a story with a lesson hidden somewhere in the middle of it. Some of them are pretty well known and understood, like the parable of the Ten Virgins. However, there are many, many more that are less popular and less widely comprehended. Taking the time to study the principles found within parables is seeking to hear what Christ wants us to know. Below are some of the parables found in Luke 16-18. 

The Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-12):

Basically, there was a steward (I imagine this to be the bookkeeper or financial guru for a household), who worked for a very rich man. The rich man caught wind of the steward wasting his resources, and called him in to discuss it. He put the steward on probation. The steward, feeling nervous and threatened, thought up a plan to get back into good graces with his master. He called up all of the people that owed things to the rich man, and struck deals with the debtors. He collected only portions of what they owed to the rich man, which worked out pretty well for the debtors. This debtors were happy with the steward, and he made some friends. The master was pleased with the steward, because he saw that he was looking down the road. 

This is a very confusing parable at first. Does that mean that the Lord condones dishonesty? In his book, Jesus is the Christ, James E. Talmage clarifies this for us: 

"On first reading, the parable of the Unjust Steward would seem to be an endorsement for malfeasance in office. Careful study will show, however, that it was given to teach the care with which the saints of God should approach the task of preparing for their eternal future. Knowing that he had but a short time left in his appointed post, the steward wisely tried to secure his future by winning some friends.

"It was not the steward’s dishonesty that was extolled; his prudence and foresight were commended, however; for while he misapplied his master’s substance, he gave relief to the debtors; and in so doing he did not exceed his legal powers, for he was still steward though he was morally guilty of malfeasance. The lesson may be summed up in this wise: Make such use of your wealth as shall insure you friends hereafter. Be diligent; for the day in which you can use your earthly riches will soon pass. Take a lesson from even the dishonest and the evil; if they are so prudent as to provide for the only future they think of, how much more should you, who believe in an eternal future, provide therefor!" (pg. 464)

The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31):

In this parable, there is a very rich man and a very poor and sick man named Lazarus. The rich man thinks very highly of himself, and refuses to provide any help or support to Lazarus, even while the dogs licked up his wounds. Eventually the beggar, Lazarus, died and was carried away to Abrahams bosom (Spirit Paradise). He experienced a loss of his fears, troubles and sorrows. In it's place grew peace, joy and rest. 

Soon after, the rich man also died and was sent to hell (Spirit Prison). His experience was much different, as he dealt with weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, darkness and constant fear. Because of the awful state he dwelt in, he asked for help getting out. He was reminded frankly that he chose not to help the beggar Lazarus when they were both alive. He was also explained that there was a huge "gulf" between the Spirit Paradise and the Spirit Prison, that divided the two places and kept the spirits from connecting with the other side. 

He then asked to visit his family that he left behind to preach to them of his newly acquired understanding of the plan. He was told that they would be sent prophets (missionaries, scriptures?) to teach them. He was also told that it wouldn't matter if he went back to teach them from the grave, if they didn't accept the prophets, they wouldn't accept the truth. 

After Christ's spirit left his body, he spent three days teaching and preaching in the spirit world. When he went there, he created a bridge over the "gulf" between the Spirit Paradise and the Spirit Prison. About this, Bruce R. McConkie says: 

"The Savior’s visit to the spirit world bridged the gulf between paradise (Abraham’s bosom) and hell, making it possible for the spirits in prison to receive the message of the gospel by authorized ministers."

The Parable of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19):

This parable begins with some men who suffered from leprosy. Leprosy is a nasty disease, where chunks of skin falls off of the infected person, exposing their insides to plain view. It was very contagious, and caused lepers (people with leprosy) to be cast out from the cities. In order to be able to come back to their homes, families and friends, they had to be pronounced clean by a priest. Rarely did this happen, and once diagnosed with leprosy- you pretty much expected to die alone in the hills.

As Christ was walking one day, he was surrounded by ten lepers, who sought Him to be healed. In verse 13 they said "...Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Christ then told the lepers to go show themselves to the priest. Bruce R. McConkie says about this that,

 "Jesus also told the lepers to show themselves to the priests as a test of their faith.When all ten believed and complied with the terms of the cure, all were healed “as they went” to visit the priests. "

After they were healed, only one former leper out of all of the 10 former lepers came back and found Christ to thank him. Verse 17 reads: "And Jesus answering said Were there not ten cleansed? but Where are the nine?" And of all of them, he was a Samaritan who would have typically been looked down upon! Elder Bruce R. McConkie said about this: 

The one who returned to give thanks was a Samaritan, and “perhaps this exhibition of gratitude by a Samaritan was another evidence to the apostles that all men are acceptable to the Lord and that the Jewish claim to exclusive superiority as a chosen race was soon to be replaced with a command to take the gospel of peace to all races.”

I wonder how many times we forgot to stop and say thank you? Are we like the Samaritan, or are we like the other nine? 

The Parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8)
In this parable, Christ tells about a poor widow who sought the help of a judge, seeking to get rid of some of her adversaries. The judge, who was very selfish and wicked, decided not to help the widow. Then, after a while of her asking, it seems like he just got tired of it and helped her. He didn't help her because it was the right thing to do, or because he wanted to be nice--he helped her because it was beneficial to him.

This parable is kind of a tricky one, and a lot of people get caught up thinking that Christ is comparing himself and Heavenly Father to this wicked judge. That is not the case, though! Verse 4-5 tells about the heart of the judge, who said

 "Thought I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubeleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."

Jesus Christ uses this parable to teach us that even that wicked judge finally helped the poor widow eventually, even if it was for the wrong reasons. If the judge, being so full of himself, would help someone in need, of course God will too! We should not get caught up in doubt, wondering if God hears our prayers, or if he will answer any of them. Of course He does! There may be a lesson we are gaining, so we need to remember that our desired timing often times does not coincide with the Heavenly Father's timing. So be patient, and hang on tight to your faith!

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke 18:9-14):

The final parable for this post concerns a Pharisee and a Publican (tax collector). Both men went up to the temple at the same time to pray. In the Pharisee's prayer, he told God about how awesome and righteous he was, and made a running list of all of the good things that he did all the time. He also took the opportunity to tell God how much better he was than all of the other people. By contrast, the Publican quietly prayed, and asked God for mercy, and explained that he lacked. 

Christ then explains that the Pharisee is no better than the Publican, even though he wanted to believe he was. In verse 14, about the publican he says: 

"I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

In Jesus the Christ, James E. Talmage says: 

"We are expressly told that this parable was given for the benefit of certain ones who trusted in their self-righteousness as an assurance of justification before God. It was not addressed to the Pharisees nor to the publicans specifically. The two characters are types of widely separated classes. There may have been much of the Pharisaic spirit of self-complacency among the disciples and some of it even among the Twelve. … The parable is applicable to all men; its moral was summed up in a repetition of our Lord’s words spoken in the house of the chief Pharisee. …"

Studying parables give us a unique opportunity. We learn the important principles of the gospel, in exactly the way the Christ wants us to hear them. This was a difficult assignment for me, mostly because I am not very smart. But after days of studying, I think that I was able to really grasp a better understanding of what I need to be working on! I encourage everyone to look up these parables and really seek to understand them. They are powerful and will bless you as you try to hear the message!