Parables in Mark

The Gospel of Mark contains several of the parables of Jesus. The parables are an important part of Jesus’ teachings, and down through history they have been interpreted in different ways. Perhaps no other passages in the Bible have been so misinterpreted. Often in the text, a parable is linked to an event in Jesus’ ministry or to another saying of Jesus or to an editorial comment which is meant to explain what the parable means. In these cases we may have to look for two interpretations. What did Jesus mean when he told this parable? And how did the author understand and use the parable when he wrote his gospel? The two interpretations may or may not be exactly the same. Both should be helpful for us as we try to apply the message of the parable to our own lives today