Parables are stories with symbolic elements that teach moral, religious, or spiritual lessons. They are more precise than fables, which use animals or natural forces to convey wisdom. The most famous parables are from Jesus in the New Testament, but other religions and authors have used them too. The Good Samaritan is a well-known parable that teaches mercy and overlooks differences. Parables simplify complex beliefs for everyone to understand, but not everyone will comprehend them. Other examples of parables include Sufi didactic stories, The Pilgrim’s Progress, and Billy Budd.
A parable is a story designed to illustrate a moral, religious, or spiritual lesson. It is distinct from a fable in that a parable employs more precise symbolism to convey its meaning. In other words, each story element can symbolize a different aspect of the lesson. The most famous parables are those told by Jesus Christ in the New Testament Gospels. Other religious figures and spiritual thinkers have also used parables.
A fable is a well-known narrative device used to convey a moral or a bit of wisdom. The most famous fables are attributed to Aesop, a Greek storyteller who lived 600 years before Christ. Fairy tales often employ animals or natural forces to symbolize aspects of human nature. However, these are not always direct symbols; many aspects of the story could be changed or removed without altering the lesson. A parable is more precise in its use of symbols.
One of the most famous parables is The Good Samaritan, told by Christ in the Gospel of Luke. In the story, a Jewish traveler is attacked by robbers and left for dead in a roadway. The next two passers-by, both members of the Jewish clergy, see the man but are unaware of his situation. The Samaritan does everything to help the traveler, despite the political enmity that existed at the time between Samaritans and Jews. Christ’s choice of characters is intentional to illustrate his point, that true mercy overlooks superficial differences.
Parables are commonly believed to reduce complex moral or spiritual beliefs to concepts so simple that even children can understand them. The parable described above, for example, has become so widely known that “good Samaritan” is commonly used to describe anyone who unselfishly helps another, Christian or otherwise. Christ himself, however, often said that not everyone would understand the meaning of a parable. He concluded several parables with the phrase: “He who has ears, listen”.
The parables are not limited to Christ, or even to Christianity. Sufis, spiritual scholars of the Islamic tradition, often used parables called “didactic stories”. The Pilgrim’s Progress, a 17th-century novel by English author John Bunyan, is sometimes described as an allegory, but has many aspects of an extended parable. Literary scholars sometimes refer to Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, published in 17, as a parable. His story of a good man beset by the forces of evil has parallels to Bunyan’s story, The Good Samaritan, and the life of Christ itself.
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