Parables - Mystery
By nature parables are mysteries, in that they have a meaning which is not apparent from the literal text. Typically the meaning of the parable is deduced from cultural clues concerning the action within the parable.
A mystery is not a mystery if it is completely unknown. In the old game 'Clue', there would be no mystery if you did not know that a 'murder' had been committed. For this reason, God told us that he had a mystery. He even says that his ability to hide it is an expression of his glory. [1] Paul was able to solve the mystery and knew that it was embedded in scripture, even from the beginning. [2]
An example is the parable of the "Good Samaritan'. The immediate and obvious meaning is that the one who does good to another, despite cultural differences or immediate dangers, is the good neighbor.
How can this be validated if Jesus had not made that specific point? The lesson might be understood to be that the Samaritan was stupid for risking himself in a possible trap, and that he was nothing but a 'do-gooder' who got nothing out of expending his own resources to care for the injured man, or that if we are rich enough, we might care for others.
In parables where Jesus did not give the meaning, there are many 'meanings' given to the parables from the imagination of the interpreter.
There are two Rules which help prevent free-for-all allegory:
Based on these rules, the parables are approached using the symbols from the rest of scripture and looking for the picture of Christ within