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Parables are not Allegories
Allegories use symbolism to convey truths. They embed hidden messages like parables, but there are two key differences: one, an allegory is usually longer and uses almost all the elements in the story as symbols with deeper meaning. A parable is shorter and only a few elements have significance. Two, an allegory contains a message foreign to the story itself and is wide open to varying interpretations. A parable usually makes one clear point and you can tell the point from the story itself as told in context.
Remember The Wizard of Oz? Many theorize Frank Baum wrote it as an allegory for the late 1800’s debate over switching to silver money or staying with the gold standard. The Yellow Brick Road represents the gold standard, the silver shoes (which were changed to ruby red slippers in the 1939 film) represent the silver supporters (“Silverites”). “Oz” is an abbreviation for “ounce” in which gold and silver are measured. Dorothy represents the naive American people. The Emerald City represents the fraudulent green paper money that only seems to have value but doesn’t. It’s ruled over by a scheming Wizard who represents a politician who pretends to be wise and powerful but is selfish and evil. Do you see? An allegory makes almost all the elements in the story symbols of something else. What’s more, those hidden messages are completely foreign to the story and wide open for interpretation.
In the 4th century AD, Augustine treated the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 like an allegory of the fall of man and a prophecy of the church. The man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho represents Adam. Jerusalem was the heavenly city of peace, from which Adam fell. The robbers are the devil and his angels. Being stripped of his clothes was Adam being stripped of his immortality, beating him was persuading him to sin, leaving him half dead was Adam’s condition after sin; physically alive, but spiritually dead. The Samaritan represented Christ, bandaging his wounds was the restraining of sin, oil was hope, wine was exhortation to work with a fervent spirit, the donkey was the flesh of Christ’s incarnation, the inn was the church, the next day was the resurrection, the two silver coins were the promise of this life and the life to come, and the innkeeper was Paul.
Augustine treats every element as symbols for things completely foreign to the story. Parables do contain “mysteries” (Matt. 4:11), but there’s usually one hidden message and it’s not foreign to the story; it’s usually found in the story itself. It teaches a basic lesson from physical life, then we apply it spiritually. The Parable of the Good Samaritan shows a man who loved his neighbor. Jesus told it to a neighbor-hating lawyer who needed to learn what that meant. There’s no need to assign special meaning to the donkey. In a parable, only the elements in the story that support the main point matter. The rest may be useful, but not symbolic of anything deeper.
