The New Testament

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The New Testament

• The Prodigal Son
• The Sower
• The Talents

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Parables

• The Prodigal Son, The Sower, The Talents are
  parables.
• Parables are short narratives that teach a moral
  or lesson about life.
• Universal ideas of conduct in life and moral laws
  make them easily understood.
• Allegory is used in parables an allegory is a
  story with an underlying message that can be
  understood symbolically or literally.

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The Prodigal Son
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Relate to other works

• This parable can relate to any story showing
  forgiveness, such as The Book of Ruth because
  both characters leave home and endure hardships,
  but they receive genuine hospitality and love in
  the end.
• Parables can relate to any story that teaches a
  moral or lesson about life.
• Universal meaning dealing with conduct in life
  and moral laws.

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Cultural details

• Monotheistic (mention of God)
• Confessions of sins
• Celebration (killing the fatted calf was a sign
  of hospitality, usually reserved for guests, as
  in Genesis when Abraham serves the three passing
  strangers who turn out to be angels in disguise).
• Had servants
• Loyalty highly valued
• Property ownership
• Forgiveness (God forgives sinners as father
  forgives son)

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Figurative Language

• Allegory--a story with an underlying meaning that
  can be understood symbolically (what it
  represents) or literally (what it says).

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Symbolism

• These go back to allegory on the symbolic level.
• Father God
• Elder son People who live righteously
• Younger son Sinners
• Meaning God loves and accepts those who live
  righteously and forgives those who sin and ask
  for forgiveness. God is willing to accept sinners
  into his group of followers. (theme)

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Plot Structure

• Parable--a short narrative that teaches a lesson.
  Uses characters and events to teach a universal
  lesson of acceptance and forgiveness.
• The young son takes his inheritance and squanders
  in away. The elder son stays with his father and
  works the land. The young son returns home after
  squandering away his money. Upon his return, the
  father welcomes the son with a banquet to show
  forgiveness and acceptance.

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The Sower
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Relate to other works or the real world

• This story can relate to many things other than
  the spreading of the Christian doctrine. Many
  ideas regardless of how good they may be, can be
  rejected under certain conditions. Think of
  politics--a political leader seeks to implement
  new plans. However, the plan may be rejected
  while others will be embraced.
• This can also apply to teachers, artists,
  businessmen, and many others.

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Cultural Details

• Monotheistic
• Oral story telling
• People should live righteously
• Nature (farming) important

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Figurative LanguageLiterary Devices

• Allegory
• Symbolism

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Symbolism

• Seed the word of God (his teachings)
• Sower God and his disciples
• Those along the footpath those who ignore the
  teaching
• Those on rocky ground those who abandoned the
  word during difficult times
• Those among the thistles those who are
  distracted by worldly goods
• Those in good soil those who nurture Gods word
  and see it flourish

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Plot Structure

• Parable--a short narrative that teaches a lesson.
  Uses characters and events to teach a universal
  lesson of acceptance.
• Accept Gods word and believe in Him. (theme)
• Uses a story telling technique to convey the
  words of God which encourage Christians to live
  righteously and accept Gods word. It also
  states public responses to Gods word.

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The Talents
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Relates to other works or the real world

• This story is expressing the importance of using
  your talents wisely. (theme)
• This could relate to things such as, Be all you
  can be!
• Other teachings of God

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Cultural Details

• Everyone has worth or place in society as long as
  they contribute by using their talent
• Monotheistic
• Honesty
• Trustworthiness
• Value developing ones potential to the fullest

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Figurative Language Literary Devices

• place of wailing and grinding of teeth refers
  to hell or an unholy place
• Symbolism
• Allegory-the story is an allegory with double
  meaning
• Parallelism
• Epithet -- Master is God

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Symbolism

• Master is God
• Servant is mankind (the followers of God)
• Talents are the abilities that God gives each of
  us (sing, think, act, drive, run, etc.)
• Theme--Use your talents to the best of your
  ability, dont waste the abilities you have.

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Plot Structure

• Parable--a short narrative that teaches a lesson.
  Uses characters and events to teach a universal
  lesson of developing ones potentials to benefit
  oneself and others.
• God gave everyone talents (money in the story,
  ability on the symbolic level) and expects them
  to use them. The talents will benefit the
  individual and others.

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Closing comments

• All of the stories relate to us today. We still
  study the Bible and the teachings of God.
• The themes of acceptance and forgiveness are
  universal.
• The theme of developing ones potential is also
  stressed universally.