In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on June 17, 2023, Kyle Kettering talked about king parables, a popular genre of rabbinic teaching used in the exegesis of scripture. The 465 rabbinic parables identified by Notley and Safrai fall into several categories, king parables being one of the leading varieties.
The king in the parable usually represents God. For example, Moses' being denied the opportunity to settle in Canaan is compared to a king who tells his son not to enter the palace.
Kyle observed that not many of Jesus' parables can be called king parables, and he raised the question of why Jesus did not use this kind of parable very often. Perhaps, he said, this is because Jesus shaped his teachings around rural life more than elite society.
One of Jesus' king parables is recorded in Matthew 18:21-35. The king, representing God, is merciful to a servant who asks for forgiveness of a large debt, but then punishes that servant when he denies a request for forgiveness of a small debt.
Another one of Jesus' king parables is the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22:1-14. God in this parable is again portrayed as carrying out judgment. Kyle raised the question of why God's role as judge is emphasized in Jesus' few king parables.
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