Review Prarbles Stories of the Kingdon Amy Wellborn

The Parables: Jesus'south Friendly Subversive Speech, Douglas D. Webster. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2021.

Summary: A study of the parables of Jesus, why he used them, how they conveyed his bulletin and what that message was, and what they mean for our preaching.

I'll say it straight out, this is one of the best treatments of the parables of Jesus I have read. Douglas Webster explains why Jesus spoke in parables, his friendly subversive spoken communication, and how this plays out in all of the parables. He both draws on scholarly work and roots his explanations in the text just uses stories, both those of the parables and contemporary illustrations to convey the significant of the parables.

He begins this work by positing that Jesus turned to parables afterward encountering resistance and increasing opposition to his teaching and works. He writes:

"In the face of growing opposition, Jesus's communicational strategy hit the wall. Directly-upwards administrative education was becoming counterproductive. This is why I think Jesus switched to parables. Through the medium of story he was able to communicate to the crowds without giving his enemies a clear target. The general audience hung on his captivating stories—stories they could hear superficially, near equally amusement. Or they could hear Jesus'due south stories provocatively as world-upending stories. The disciples knew full well that Jesus was doing more telling simple stories, and he invited their questions. I suspect the scribes and Pharisees too knew that Jesus'due south parables were operating at a deeper level, just this indirect style of advice offered picayune leverage for their entrada against Jesus" (p. x).

Webster focuses on the texts of the parables found in Matthew and Luke and the context of the parables in these books. He begins with the 7 parables in Matthew thirteen, starting with the parable of the sower, then the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed and the yeast, and the concluding parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl, and net. They tell us the kingdom is rooted in the hope of harvest despite the resistance of many, that the kingdom works without coercion, that there will be growth from pocket-sized beginnings, incomparable joy, even as there is a final judgment. These are stories people hear, but the disciples question and empathise.

He then turns to the parables of Luke (in Luke 10-18), setting them in the context of questions nigh neighboring, prayer, the follies of worldly wealth, readiness and unreadiness for the kingdom, the fruitlessness of Israel's religion, like the barren fig, the religious inhospitability to "sinners" and the urgent concern for the lost. In the parable of the lost son, I appreciate that Webster doesn't merely consider how we might be like ane of the two sons, but might besides embrace the role of the father. In the rich man and Lazarus, he considers Lazarus as a Christ figure and the spooky indifference of the rich man to the poor. In the Pharisee and tax collector, I love the style Webster contrasts merit and mercy.

Webster then returns to Matthew and the Passion week parables. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard I was struck by the generosity to the latecomers–am I and so generous equally a fifty-yr Christian to newly minted believers and joyful that we all share the same gift? We consider the "no" and "yes" of two sons, wicked tenants, joyful banquets and who is in and who is out, and the iv parables in Jesus "End of the World" sermon–the true-blue and faithless servants, the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and goats. All these point me toward the render and rewards and judgments of the Male monarch, and what it means to keep faith to the end.

The concluding appendix discusses ten reasons to preach the parables. I'll share just ane:

"The most of import thing to remember about preaching the parables is that Jesus is telling the story."

They are not only general utterances about religion, simply set in the context of Jesus life, death, resurrection and rule. They are his utterances and they betoken to the one speaking.

Douglas D. Webster has given united states a work non only useful in agreement the parables, simply one that holds the mirror up to the states, request, "What do you see? Are your eyes open?" We're invited to open up our eyes to the light of the gospel and encouraged to use these stories with the promise that God volition requite optics to run into and ears to hear to our friends who listen to this "friendly destructive speech."

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Disclosure of Cloth Connectedness: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in commutation for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Source: https://bobonbooks.com/2021/12/09/review-the-parables/