A parable is any image or story taken from everyday life to instruct with a hidden meaning. The word parable originally comes from the Hebrew word “Mashal”. When translated into Greek, it was written παραβολή (pronounced parabolē). This Greek word meant “to throw alongside,” showing that parables cast a story alongside the truth, using only false figures. When a person hears the word "parable," they often automatically think of the stories Jesus told. Although Jesus told many parables, he was not the only biblical figure to use parables. An example of an Old Testament figure telling a parable is the prophet Nathan's parable to King David about the rich man who captures and kills the poor man's sheep. 2 Samuel 12:1-14. David becomes very angry at the rich man and orders him to kill him before realizing that the rich man is himself. The reasons Nathan used a parable are the same reasons Jesus used parables: discretion, to avoid defensiveness and to stimulate deeper reflection. Parables are discreet because no one can get angry with the person telling the parable because even if he talks about you he doesn't actually say your name, so you can remain anonymous. Parables avoid getting defensive because if you don't think the parable is about you, you are more willing to listen and understand the wrongdoings in the parable, even if they are yours. Ultimately, they prompt deeper reflection because they are stories, and as you later remember and think more about the funny story, you can draw more meaning from it. By using parables, Jesus helps us, his readers, to better understand his messages. Our parable is that of the Merciless Servant, found in Matthew 18:23-35. It's in the category of parables, so... middle of paper... the same thing that happened to the merciless servant in the parable, will happen to us. Today we take this parable very lightly, as we have grown up in a culture that easily forgives people's shortcomings. Most people think, “Yes, I forgive everyone who hurts me.” However, if you think about it, this is not true, as each of us has a couple of people we hold a grudge against, and this parable is telling us to stop holding a grudge. Forgiveness is an important part of Christian teaching and should not be taken lightly. The parable of the unmerciful servant is an important parable in terms of what Jesus was trying to teach us in the Gospels. Forgiveness is one of the greatest and most important teachings of Christianity. Jesus could not have made the message of his parable clearer: “As God has forgiven you, so you also will forgive others in the same way.”..”