Brian Gallagher Kate Simcox Communication Theory November 16, 2013 Jesus and the Use of Narrative Paradigm

Introduction Jesus was one of the most influential people to live on this earth. He is recognized in most religions as a great prophet and teacher. Jesus forms of teaching were often through narrative, using proverbs, parables, illustrations, and allegories. In Matthew 13, Jesus disciples question Jesus on why he teaches in parables. Jesus answers, The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them (Holy Bible, Matthew 13:10-11). In this research paper, I attempt to find how effective Jesus uses of narratives in the Gospel of Luke were, but more specifically, this papers purpose will be to analyze the use of narrative and story in Luke chapter 15. If Jesus is considered to be one of the greatest teachers the world has ever seen, then this paper will attempt to digest one of his styles of teaching and analyze it using the Narrative Paradigm theory by Walter Fisher. In chapter 15 of Luke, Jesus just finished eating a meal at a house of a prominent Pharisee and was being watched to see what he was going to do next (Luke 14:1). After that encounter, a large crowd was following Jesus; a crowd filled with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 15:1). The Pharisees were disgusted with Jesus association with sinners. From this point on, Jesus uses three parables to answer their mutterings (Luke 15:2). Jesus teaches them from The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin and The Parable of the Lost Son in chapter 15. R. Zimmerman writes in How to Understand the Parables of Jesus that parables are nothing more than narratives. They concentrate on central meanings and require some sort of action. Zimmerman explains that parables are fictional but factual (Zimmerman, pg. 171). Parables also are realistic and metaphoric, portraying the real world and semantic transfer of meaningbetween two different domains of meaning (Zimmerman, pg. 172). Parables, according to Zimmerman, want to be interpreted. The fact that a parable is filled with metaphoric language promotes meaning outside of what is truly being said. Lastly, parables are co-text and context related. Parables are embedded in larger narrative contexts that have a big affect on the meaning and the direction of the reader (Zimmerman, pg. 173). The Parable of the Lost Sheep is Jesus opening rebuttal to the Pharisees questions of why he was associating himself with sinners. Jesus explains having one hundred sheep and losing one of them. The shepherd that Jesus describes would leave the ninety-nine and go after the one that was lost, and when he finds it, he brings it back to the whole flock, joyfully. In The Parable of the Lost Coin, Jesus explains a woman having ten silver coins and losing one. In the Greek New Testament, these ten silver coins are translated as (drachma), which would be the equivalent to a collective days wages. So by losing one coin, the woman would have lost a tenth of the days work. Jesus says the woman would turn the house upside down and try to find the one lost coin and when she does, she rejoices because she has restored the ten . At the end of both of these parables, Jesus says, there will be "rejoicing over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:7, 10). In The Parable of the Lost Son, Jesus explains a more in depth version of the two other parables. Jesus explains a man with two sons, and the youngest squandered his wealth in wild

living (Luke 15:13). This man goes from riches to rags, and works out in the field of a citizen of the country he ran off to, to feed the pigs, a lowly job in Jewish culture. In verses 17-20, the youngest son assumes the position of what Christians say to God when they repent of their sins. The youngest son admits sinning against heaven and his father, saying he is no longer worthy to be called (his fathers) son (Luke 15:21). But instead of rejecting the son, the father accepts the son and calls for a feast and the greatest party in his name and honor, because this son of (his) was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found (Luke 15:24). The older brother at the end of the story is jealous of his younger brother, since he has been with his father the whole time. His father, however, explains to him that there is need to celebrate when a son who is lost becomes found. In these three parables, a common theme is presented: Jesus will go out of his way to save a sinner, leaving many of the righteous behind to rescue the lost. The uses of those three parables were used for the Pharisees to understand whom God finds worthy and unworthy. Using these narratives, Jesus communicates through story that everyone and anyone is worthy for redemption in the eyes of God, just like a shepherd would go find the one sheep that is lost, the woman who would go find the one coin that is lost, and the father that welcomes the son back who squandered everything he has. All three parables are vital to understanding Gods work in a sinners life, and are a tool to find a deeper truth about the kingdom of heaven. Literature Review Mark L. Bailey states that parables are figurative narratives that are true to life and are designed to convey some spiritual truth relative to Gods kingdom. The language in these parables conveys historical, cultural, spiritual, and moral meaning and values (Bailey, pg. 30). Jesus often told parables to answer questions or to challenge the listeners thinking (Bailey, pg. 34). According to Bailey, parables often have a historical setting and a cultural setting. Understanding when Jesus spoke the parables is vital to understanding their meaning. Bailey presumes that understanding the point in Jesus ministry that he spoke the parables affects the interpretation of it. Jesus spoke a number of parables in response to the national leaders rejection of him and he also spoke personally and privately to his disciples for encouragement and instruction (Bailey, pg. 32). Understanding the cultural setting of a parable is vital for interpretation. Elbert Russel in The Parables of Jesus states that all the parables evoke some customs or traditions that are specific to the time period (Russel, pg. 10). Jesus was attempting to use relevant reasons in his parables in order for the listeners to understand the deeper truth. In his article titled Parables in the Gospels: History of Interpretation and Hermeneutical Gudielines, Robert L. Plummer, an associate professor of New Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary explains the way parables have been commonly misinterpreted throughout the history of the church. Plummer explains The Parable of the Good Samaritan, in which early Christians interpreted as a story mirroring salvation, when Jesus clearly tells the story to answer a Jewish leaders question, who is my neighbor? Plummer explains that Jesus used parables not only to illustrate truth, but to also conceal truth and increase culpability of his hard-hearted opponents (Plummer, pg. 5). Plummer also states that parables have meanings based on the number of characters that are presented in the story. Dr. Craig Blomberg of Denver Seminary explains in The Parable of the Lost Son, that the father is God the Father, gracious and forgiving, the older brother represents followers of God who have negative attitudes of Gods grace and forgiveness, and the younger brother is the sinner, who

confesses their sin, turns from it, and embraces mercy (Blomberg, 166). Robert Stein of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary states God, represented by the father, is gracious to sinners, the younger brother, therefore, we should not hate his love to others, as the older brother did (Stein, pg. 146-149). Parables have been established as stories that evoke some inner thinking of the kingdom of God and should be understood culturally and historically. But why are the parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son in Luke 15 so compelling for readers today, in the 21st Century? Why are Jesus parables so convincing, that they can even transcend thousands of years of cultural difference and still cut right to the heart of Christian today? Communication Theory Walter Fisher says that humans are narrative beings, who experience and comprehend life as a series of ongoing narrative, as conflicts characters, beginnings middles and ends (Griffin, pg. 308). The narrative paradigm of Walter Fisher is a communication theory that can explain why Jesus parables were and are so compelling to readers now and also listeners of Jesus day. According to Deanna D. Sellnow in her book The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture, quoting Fisher, says narration is symbolic actions, words and/or actions that have order and significance for those who live, create, or interpret them (Sellnow, pg. 37). Sellnow also describes examining what message is being conveyed within a narrative paradigm. When someone is giving a message in the form of a narrative, the listener interprets the message either positively or negatively. The way the listener interprets how they ought to or ought not to believe or behave directly correlates to what good reasons the listener has for accepting the story as legitimate (Sellnow, pg. 38). According to Em Griffin, Fisher is convinced that all forms of communication are best viewed as stories shaped by culture and history, which reigns true for understanding parables, according to Mark. L. Bailey (Bailey, pg. 30). Fisher argues that almost all of communication one enacts is narrative. The Narrative Paradigm, then, is a framework that views narrative as the basis of all human communication (Griffin, pg. 312). Contrary to the rational framework, which assumes people are rational, the world is a puzzle, and people make decisions based on compelling arguments, Fisher argues that people are storytellers, that history and culture play huge role in the fidelity of the story, and that the world is a set of stories, which then re-creates life perceptually. Fisher states that in order for a story to be compelling, the story has to be consistent and probable. The ultimate test, according to Fisher is whether or not the characters act in a reliable manner (Griffin, pg. 313). Characters are then believable when theres connection of thought, cause, and action. In the parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son, the characters in the story are believable. There is not too much cultural relevance that make readers in the 21st Century question the validity of the story. The shepherd, the woman who lost the coin, and any of the characters in The Lost Son are compelling and believable. Fisher says we buy into a story when we buy into the type of character we should be (Griffin, pg. 313). Jesus is trying to create identification with the Pharisees, saying that if one of them lost a sheep, or lost a days wages, or lost a son, would do the same as the people in the story, thus, making the story legitimate. Jesus used these parables to teach the Pharisees about why he associates himself with sinners and the ignored. Not only does he present this idea, but he also portrays a deeper truth related to the kingdom of God (Bailey, pg. 30). Jesus uses narrative to show the Pharisees the importance of the lost person compared to the person who is already found. In Matthew 9, a very

similar situation happens to Jesus. When questioned why he is associated with sinners, Jesus answers, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Matthew 9:12-13). This reiterates the point of the three parables explained in this paper in making a comparison to yet another logical argument. Doctors are not truly meant for people who are healthy, because healthy people do not need doctors the same way sick people do. In Luke 15, Jesus says, through story, that the lost are to be found and there is much rejoicing over one sinner who repents. The Pharisees were angry with Jesus because he was a person that held a lot of power with the people. Pharisees would never associate themselves with lowly people. But Jesus uses the doctor argument to tell them that the whole point of his ministry is to take care of the people who are lowly in the culture. To further reiterate this point, In Luke 15, the uses of stories is used to make the Pharisees find identification with the characters intertwined in the story, to open their eyes to who God finds worthy of redemption and time. Another way to judge a storys validity is for it to have narrative fidelity. In order for the listener or a reader to resonate with a story, the values in the message and the values of the person have to line up. In Human Communication as Narration, Fisher says that a story has fidelity when it provides good reasons to guide future actions. If Jesus talks in parables to give knowledge about the kingdom of heaven to the people who do not understand, then the stories he shares would rationally try to convince the listener the importance of the kingdom of heaven by making them conscious of the choice of salvation. That is exactly what the parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son convey. In his article, Paradigm Shifts, Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the Gospel in the Global Village, Tom Boomershine discuses The Parable of the Rich Fool. Boomershine explains that the parable leads the listener into identification with the rich man. The internal discussion inside the rich mans mind, or the question, answer, and address to his soul leads to self-discovery and ultimately, a persuasive story. Boomershine says, It is from this psychological place inside the rich mans mind that the listener hears Gods judgment. The ultimate point of this parable is that it makes the listener reflect on the relationship to the age to come (Boomershine, pg. 9), which is the whole point of why Jesus spoke in parables. In all three parables, and even The Rich Fool, the listeners identify with a character, and are forced to make a judgment about themselves and assumptions of their own beliefs (Boomershine, pg. 10). In these parables, the Pharisees values would oppose the values of Jesus. But, since these Pharisees were very conservative, rule-abiding members of the religious realm, they undoubtedly could not deny the truthful and humane nature of the story, as described in narrative fidelity (Griffin, pg. 314). The shepherd going after the lost sheep, the woman going after the lost coin and the father welcoming back is lost son is logical, truthful, and humane. Deanna E. Sellnow explains the way the listener interprets how they ought to or ought not to believe or behave in a narrative directly links to what good reasons the listener has for accepting the story as reasonable (Sellnow, pg. 38). The logic of good reasons of Fisher states that the listener is concerned with the values embedded in the message, the ultimate relevance, consequences that could happen if those values are followed, the overall worldview of the listener and an ideal basis for conduct (Griffin, pg. 314). Jesus uses the parables of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son to present a good reason as to why he is associating himself with sinners. By merely telling the Pharisees that he enjoys spending time with the sinners, or that he wants to make the Pharisees angry would not suffice and Jesus knows this. Jesus creates identification with them by presenting logical stories that present good reasons as to

why he is associating himself with sinners, which creates the same identification with readers today. Conclusion Why are Jesus parables so compelling and why are they an effective tool for persuasion? In analyzing these parables, its easy to just see them as story and nothing more. But, throughout this research, the whole reason Jesus spoke to his disciples, to the people who opposed him, and to the unbelievers was so Jesus can meet these people where they are at and reveal a deeper truth about the kingdom of heaven for the people who hardly hear with their ears and who have closed their eyes (Matthew 13:15). To his disciples, Jesus gave parables about growth and sustainability, like The Parable of the Mustard Seed and Yeast and The Parable of the Sower. And to people who opposed him and did not believe, Jesus would share parables about the lost becoming found, like in the three parables this paper analyzed. While reading parables, one should realize why the parables were being shared. There is more to the narrative then just what is being shared. Most likely, it is what is not being explicitly said that Jesus wants the listeners and readers to know. While being the head counselor at an Outdoorsmen camp for middle school to high school guys, one of the speakers that came spoke on The Parable of the Lost Son. I never heard the true meaning of what the parable meant before; the deeper truth was not revealed to me. But Adrian Despres shared with everyone the story of The Lost Son and shared how it was a metaphor for Jesus opening up his arms to us, running for us when we repent of our sins and ask for forgiveness. The message was surrounding a big campfire at a place with hundred and hundreds of acres of land. Adrian told everyone around the campfire that the father in the story did not jog to the youngest son; he sprinted to him with open arms, with a big smile on his face. Adrian then proceeded to take off running around a small portion of the hundreds of acres at this camp and scream at the top of his lungs, Hes back! Hes back! Yes! At this moment, The Parable of the Lost Son became more than just a story Jesus told. The narrative that Adrian used to tell Jesus narrative of why he loves sinners was compelling. I identified with the lost son and realized that when I repent of my sins, Jesus celebrates in the same way. Jesus used this parable, and the two others, specifically to show the Pharisees why he was eating with sinners. Yes, the story was about a father who was happy his youngest son came back, but there is more to the story than what is said. Jesus told them this story to perhaps show the Pharisees that he would do the same for them; the lost. Jesus would welcome anyone into the kingdom of heaven as long as they repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness, just like the lost son. Future research that could benefit this study would be to look deeper into why Jesus chose the stories he did. If Jesus really did know his audience and chose stories that would resonate the most, then it would be interesting to see if there are common themes throughout. Jesus tended to use lost metaphors for the people who opposed him, and he would use growing metaphors for his disciples and believers. It would be interesting to see if there are any common themes to his narratives according to the people he would say them to. The narrative paradigm is an in depth communication theory that explains why I believe these parables are effective. Walter Fisher says that narrative is a part of all communication. Fisher also says stories become legitimate when characters seem real and when one finds identification with them. For anyone who reads the parables of Jesus, realizing that these characters in the story are more than just characters could have a great effect on how one interprets the kingdom of God.

Works Cited Bailey, Mark L. "Guidelines for Interpreting Jesus' Parables." Bibliotheca Sacra (1998): 29-38. Dallas Theological Seminary. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Blomberg, Interpreting the Parables, 166. Boomershine, Tom. "Paradigm Shifts, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and the Gospel in the Global Village." United Convocation (1991): 1-13. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Griffin, Em. "Narrative Paradigm." A First Look at Communication Theory. 8th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012. N. pag. Print. Holy Bible: New International Version. Colorado Springs: International Bible Society, 1984. Print. Russell, Elbert The Parables of Jesus (New York: Young Women's Christian Association, 1912), pg. 10. Sellnow, Deanna E. "Chapter 3." The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture. N.p.: SAGE, 2009. 37-49. Print. Stein, Robert H. A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994), 14649. Zimmerman, R. How to Understand the Parables of Jesus. A Paradigm Shift in Parable Exegesis Acta Theologica (2009): 171-74. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.