A parable is an image or story taken from everyday life to instruct with a hidden meaning. The word for parable originally comes from the Hebrew word “Mashal”. When translated into Greek, it was written παραβολή (pronounced parabolē). This Greek word meant "to throw aside", showing that parables throw a story aside from the truth, simply using false figures. When a person hears the word “parable,” they often automatically think of the stories told by Jesus. Although Jesus told many parables, he was not the only biblical character to use parables. An example of an Old Testament character telling a parable is the prophet Nathan's parable to King David about the rich man seizing and killing the poor man's sheep. 2 Samuel 12:1-14. David becomes very angry with the rich man and orders him killed before realizing that the rich man is himself. The reasons Nathan used a parable are the same reasons Jesus used parables: discretion, to avoid becoming defensive, and to stimulate deeper thinking. Parables are discreet because no one can get angry with the teller of the parable because even though they are talking about you, they are not actually saying your name, so you can remain anonymous. Parables avoid being defensive, because if you don't think they are about you, you are more willing to listen and understand the wrongdoings in the parable, even if they are your own actions reprehensible. Finally, they stimulate deeper thinking because they are stories, and by later remembering and thinking more about the enjoyable story, you can derive more meaning from it. By using parables, Jesus helps us, his readers, to better understand his messages. Our parable is the parable of the unforgiving servant, found in Matthew 18:23-35. This is in the category of parables, so... middle of paper ... the same thing that happened to the unforgiving servant in the parable will happen to us. Today we take this parable very lightly, because we were raised in a culture that easily forgives people's faults. Most people think, “Yes, I forgive everyone who hurts me. " However, if you think about it, that's simply not true, because everyone has a few people they hold grudges against, and this parable tells us to stop holding that grudge. Forgiveness is an important part of Christian teaching and should not be taken lightly. The parable of the merciless servant is an important parable for what Jesus was trying to teach us in the Gospels. Forgiveness is one of the most important teachings of Christianity. Jesus could not have made the message of his parable clearer: “As God has forgiven you, so also should you forgive others...”