Question
Read Kelber Chapter 5. Develop your definition of a parable. Using any Gospel parable, rewrite a parable in modern terms. Pick a parable and rewrite it as if the story were happening today – convert the time, place, and wording of the Gospel parable to a modern story.
Examples of Parables
(Lost Sheep: Luke 15: 4 – 7)
(Lost Coin: Luke 15: 8 – 10 )
(Prodigal Son: Luke 15: 11 – 32)
(The Good Samaritan: Luke 10: 25 – 37)
(The Fig Tree: Luke 13: 6 – 9)
(The Widow and the Judge: Luke 18: 1 – 8)
(The Rich Man and Lazarus: Luke 16:: 19 – 31)
(The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Luke 18: 9 – 14)
(The Laborers in the Vineyard: Matthew 20: 1 – 16)
(The Kingdom and Yeast: Matthew 13: 33)
(The Pearl of Great Price: Matthew 13: 45 – 46)
(The Sower and the Seed: Mark 4: 1 – 20)
(The Tenants: Mark 12: 1 – 10)
(The Mustard Seed: Mark 4: 30 – 32)
(Matthew 13: 31 – 32)
(Luke 13: 18 – 19)
(The Talents: Luke 19: 11 – 27)
(Matthew 25: 14 – 30)
Answer
The Lost Sheep
A parable is a story designed to provide spiritual or moral lessons. The parable can be rewritten in modern terms without losing its original meaning. For instance, in 2015, an American family of six went on a vacation in the United Arabs Emirates. The youngest son made friends in the foreign country who influenced him to stay with them. Unfortunately, these friends belonged to a group of gangs targeting vulnerable youths. At the end of their vacation, the young boy disappeared and informed his parents that he was not going back to America. As the family traveled home, his mother decided to stay and look for him. The young man having realized his mistake, unsuccessfully tried to find a way of going back to America. The boy’s mother contacted all relevant authorities who searched and found his son.
The boy signifies the lost ship or sinner while the mother is the shepherd or Jesus Christ. This rewritten parable teaches people that Christ’s mission in the world was saving people. The version of this parable teaches that there is a need for going after those who go astray, tracing and assisting them to go back to God’s safe hands. Like the older version of the parable, the mother did not give up on looking for her son. The mother valued all her children and never relented on bringing him back to the right path. The boy’s mother does not humiliate or rebuke the son but instead, worries and seeks for him while he is trapped in a different world. The rewritten parable inspires people to come close to God for he is a kind, merciful, accepts repentance and forgives.