By Gonny A gentle way of seeing what you’re ready to see
The word parable comes from the Greek parabolē, which means “to place side by side”, like placing something familiar next to something eternal, so one begins to reflect the other.
Jesus didn’t preach theories. He told stories.
Simple stories. But they hold layers.
You can hear a parable and think: “Nice moral.”
But come back to it years later, and it cracks your heart open.
That’s the beauty of parables:
They reflect not one truth, but the truth you’re ready to receive.
Below are three of Jesus’ most well-known parables, each explored at three levels of awareness.
We won’t label the stages. We’ll simply number them 1 to 3, because wherever you are, that’s the perfect place to begin.
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The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:3–23)
“A sower went out to sow his seed…”
Jesus tells a story:
A man scatters seeds.
Some fall on a path….birds eat them.
Some fall on rocky soil….they grow quickly but wither in the sun.
Some fall among thorns….they grow but are choked.
And some fall on good soil….and yield a rich harvest.
This story, like all parables, mirrors the mind of the listener.
Here is how it may be received through three levels of consciousness:
1. Literal understanding
Words are taken at face value. There is no symbol, no metaphor.
The listener hears it as practical advice for farming or gardening.
“He’s right. I’ve wasted seed before by throwing it on the path.
Next time I’ll use a scarecrow to stop the birds.
And I won’t bother throwing seeds on stones or in thorn bushes.
It’s just common sense: good soil gives the best results.”
At this level, the parable has no spiritual meaning yet.
It is useful, down-to-earth advice, and that’s enough.
2. Personal reflection
The story starts to reflect something inward.
The listener recognizes themselves in the different types of soil.
“Sometimes I get inspired, but then I get distracted.
Other times I feel like I’m full of fear or stress, like the thorns.
But once in a while, when I’m calm, something deeper takes root.
I want to be more like that good soil.”
Here, the seed becomes a symbol for truth or love.
The soil becomes emotional readiness.
There is a sense of growth, effort, and sincere longing.
3. Inner spiritual recognition
The listener now hears it as a teaching about resistance and willingness.
“The Sower is the Spirit. The seed is truth.
There’s nothing wrong with the seed.
But when I defend my ego or get caught in fear, I block it.
It’s not about making myself better…
it’s about letting go and receiving what is already given.”
At this level, the parable becomes an inner healing.
There is no judgment of being rocky or thorny.
There is only an awareness: truth arrives when I no longer resist it.
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The Parable of the Prodigal Son
(Luke 15:11–32)
“A man had two sons…”
Jesus tells the story of a younger son who asks for his inheritance, leaves home, squanders everything, ends up feeding pigs, and decides to return.
He expects to be punished.
Instead, his father runs toward him with open arms and throws a feast.
The older son, who stayed and worked hard, feels bitter and left out.
1. Literal understanding
The story is heard as a tale of consequences, morals, and second chances.
“Well, the kid messed up. He blew all the money on stupid things.
But at least he came back and apologized.
And his dad forgave him. That’s nice.
But I do get the older brother…it doesn’t feel fair.”
At this level, the parable is about behaviour and reward.
It teaches: “Don’t mess up, but if you do, say sorry and maybe you’ll be forgiven.”
It’s still about guilt and fairness, but something in the story begins to soften the heart.
2. Personal reflection
Now the listener starts to recognize themselves in both sons.
“I’ve run away from love in my own life.
I’ve wasted time and energy on things that didn’t feed me.
And I’ve also been the one who stayed, worked hard, and felt unseen.
What I long for most is to feel truly welcomed…without needing to prove anything.”
The story becomes personal.
The home becomes the heart.
The father becomes unconditional love and both sons become aspects of the same mind:
one that longs to be free, and one that feels it must earn love.
3. Inner spiritual recognition
At this level, the story becomes an awakening moment.
“The Father never stopped loving.
The separation was only in the son’s mind.
Even the journey was part of the dream.
Coming home isn’t about returning, it’s about remembering.”
Here, the parable is no longer about two sons.
It’s about one Self that believed it had left God.
But God never left.
The feast is not a reward…it’s a recognition:
You were never not loved.
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The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
(Matthew 13:45–46)
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
When he found one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”
A short parable , but a powerful one.
Just two verses, and yet it holds a universe of meaning.
1. Literal understanding
The story is taken at face value:
a merchant finds something valuable and makes a bold deal.
“I guess it means: if you really want something, you have to give up other stuff.
That guy found a great pearl, so he sold everything.
Seems risky, but if it’s worth it, then why not?”
At this level, the story is about sacrifice and smart choices.
The pearl is a physical object, and the lesson is:
“Give up a lot, gain more.”
2. Personal reflection
Now the listener begins to see the pearl as a symbol of something greater.
“There are moments when I feel something real…
a sense of love, or peace, or truth, and it’s worth more than anything else.
I’ve spent so much of my life chasing things that never satisfied.
But when I touch that stillness, I’d trade it all for just that.”
Here, the pearl is the soul’s knowing.
The merchant is the seeker in us all.
Letting go isn’t painful anymore… it’s freedom.
3. Inner spiritual recognition
The listener now sees through the story.
“There’s no journey.
There’s no merchant.
There’s only the Pearl…and I am That.
The ‘selling’ is the dropping of illusion.
The pearl is not something I find… it’s what I already am.”
At this level, the parable becomes a mirror of awakening.
The Kingdom of Heaven is not a destination or a reward.
It is the recognition that nothing else was ever real.
You are the treasure.
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In the end…
Parables are not puzzles.
They don’t test your intelligence.
They open your heart, if you’re ready.
They won’t rush you.
They won’t shame you.
They simply shine.
And when the time comes,
they stop being stories
and become silence.
With love and light,
G.