If a teacher comes from heaven, and leaves behind something for anyone to interpret in any way each one likes, what is the purpose of communication?
Hi venus, The purpose of communication in form of parables and examplary stories are manifold.
Firstly these examplary stories are Luke's view and loupe, they are his interpretation and way of passing down "Jesus sayings" and tradition.
Secondly literary and culturial spoken such examplary stories are not an attempt to claim a divine doctrinal advice but they fulfilled in jewish society several purposes e.g. teaching a moral or poetry. Exemplary stories belonged to the jewish genre of literature called Aggada.
Therefore to draw any doctrinal conclusion of such stories or personification of the rich as the pharasee or the todays religious leaders is not wise, a foolishness that the faithful slave is fully into.
- as a firehell for the rich or the relgiious leaders or
- a final reconcialation for all or
- the condemnation of all rich religious leaders or non followers of Christ
This would certainly go beyond the moral of this little short story about mercy. It turns only around mercy and the politics of the "closed doors" for others, but not about a class of pharasees. The reader shall identify itself with the rich man, what for a rich man might indeed be a little scary, with the images that are used.
Thirdly such stories are good lession or tool kit even today to teach how illustrations can be used to manipulate people, hopefully to the good account.
We should not overvalue them because they are only stories, which however give a good impression about how early christians interpreted scripture.
The story of the Rich man criticizes examplarily a particular behavior and calls accordingly for a behavioral change in the listener and reader. In most cases the examplary story is an openly formulated answer to a concrete question and is therefore to be understood as an example. This type of examplary stories is found only in Luke 10:30-37 (The Good Samaritan), 12.16-21 (The Rich Fool / Grainfarmer), 16:19-31 (The rich man and poor Lazarus) and 18.9-14 (Pharisees and tax collector). https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleichnis
Jesus usage of such stories was not extraordinarily at all. It was the "up-to-date illustration" tool kit of rabbis at his time.
This genre of literature included ethical and moral teaching, theological speculation, legends, folklore, poetry, prayers, historical information, interpreting of dreams, and expressions of messianic faith and longings. Aggadic literature, though instructive, did not contain legally binding theological and doctrinal dictums. Aggadic literarture is to be contrasted with the legally binding halachic literature of the same period. Aggadic literature made use of parable, satire, metaphor, personification, and poetry. Aggadah was not systematic philosophy, but dealt in its own way with basic theological and moral problems. The purpose of aggadic literature was not to convey point-by-point doctrinal truths, but to teach a moral.
https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2015/01/31/lazarus-and-rich-man/
The Talmudic and Midrashic texts known as Aggadah are the stories, folklore, historical anecdotes, moral exhortations, and practical advice, words of inspiration, and most importantly, Jewish wisdom on how to best live our life in the service of God.
http://torahbookreviews.blogspot.co.at/2015/07/aggadah-sages-stories-secrets.html