Abstract
The Parables He Told is
the author's masterpiece. He discusses how the parables are not old and ancient bedtime stories but are the roadmap for believers to understand who God is, what
His kingdom is, our duties and our life. He argues that Jesus never invented parables
but took the style that the Old Testament prophet used and made it perfected
to reveal his gospel.
He argues that Jesus
never tried to blast his audience with one explosion of light, but he gently
let the people understand his message in these parables. So that they can
achieve a life.
In this book, the
readers will see the main theme of the book, its weaknesses, strengths and evaluation in a faithful way.
Introduction
The Parable He Told is a book written by
the author David A. Redding. In this book, he tries to provide a crucial
interpretation and implication of parables Jesus told. He has written this book
to help today's readers to find the spiritual guidance and timeless truths. He
does this by contextualising the ancient truths for contemporary individuals.
The purpose of this book review is to
understand the central theme of the book and its strengths and weaknesses for the contemporary readers. It has tried to
evaluate the author's contribution faithfully and academically. It is written to
fulfil the requirement of the research class in the Master of Theology course.
1. What is this book about?
This book is about the parables Jesus
told. The author says that Jesus told 40 parables. These 40 parables are categorised under four main
topics: Our God, His Kingdom, Our Responsibility and Our Life.
Firstly, some parables are about what our God is like. Our God loves the sinner and provides more grace, as seen in the Prodigal Son and the two debtors. Secondly,
other parables address what His kingdom is like. He answers that God's kingdom
is valuable and is growing, as illustrated by the mustard seed and buried
treasure. Finally, the remaining parables discuss our duties and life. Our duty is to hear the gospel and obey it throughout our lives, reflected in the stories of the sower and the Good
Samaritan.
2.
The central message of the book
The central theme of the book focuses on
Jesus's pedagogy. The author starts his book saying that God gave Jesus some good news, raising the question: What could He do to keep it safe and fresh? What would
be the practical cup for Him to serve it at any time or place? For example, the
Apostle Paul used letters, and the famous English poet Shakespeare used plays to
impart their knowledge. Likewise, Jesus took an old container, polished it to
perfection, and used it as the ultimate vessel for the gospel. It was not invented by Him, but He perfected it.
Parables are neither fables, proverbs,
allegories nor allegories but windows,
simple stories with a moral lesson, pictures, or shells. The author says that the
parable is a story true to this house of earth, but with a window open to the
sky. It means that people are dead in spirit and that they need someone to make them
alive so that they can trust in God. It is a story used by God to teach about his
kingdom. It is a way of using earthly stories to reach heavenly meaning, like the lost coin and the Prodigal son, which reflect the heart of God for sinners.
The author argues that parables reveal the gospel and make it popular, not academic. Therefore, it does not belong to
the theologian but to the poet.
The author's masterpiece shows how these
ancient parables perfectly mirror the lostness of the modern individual. He
identifies humanity's ongoing struggles with isolation, our runaway race for
socioeconomics status, and our cold, overly analytical scepticism. He then
systematically proves that each parable is a precise antidote to these modern
spiritual ailments.
3. The strengths of the book
a. Use
of various Bible versions – The author has used the various Bible versions in his work: the King James Bible version and the New English Bible. He
does this because he wants to show his respect to both ages old and new.
b. Division
of the content. The author has divided parables based on
their meaning and similarities. His main content is divided into four parts: Our
God, His Kingdom, Our Duty and Our Life.
c. Psychological
depth: I found that this book is very helpful in terms of
psychology. The author deals with loneliness, shame and exhaustion. He then
provides the ways to achieve a peaceful life.
4. The weaknesses of the book
a. Contextual Framing:
The author frequently discusses the post-war, mid-century anxieties of his
original audience. While the core theme of human anxiety and scepticism
perfectly translates to the digital age, a few of his historical references feel
a bit dated to a today's reader.
b.
Lack of Formal Academic Discourse: Those looking for heavy Greek word studies or dense theological debates with
other scholars will not find them here. The author's main focus is strictly pastoral and
devotional. He states that it does not
belong to the theologians but to the poets.
5. Evaluation
After reading
this book, what I found is that this book is a devotional work that does not lecture
us but gives us companionship on the way of our spiritual journey. It comforts
us when we are exhausted in search of worldly status. It helps us to understand
who God is and rest on him. It gently corrects us when we go astray. It does not
condemn us but offers an invitation.
The author
reminds us that the parables are not old historical bedtime stories but living, breathing mirrors that continue to reflect our own faces back at us. He
tries to say that parables are one of the masterpieces of literature. It is given to us not only love and analysis but also obedience, as it reveals the gospel. pel.
It is highly
recommended for all the pastors and leaders who feel burnt out and are looking for a deeper sense of spiritual meaning in their daily lives. His book helps them to step out of the runaway race and find their way to come backhome.
6. Conclusion
To conclude, parables are neither
fables, proverbs, nor allegories but earthly stories with heavenly meaning. It was used by Jesus more than 35 times to
reveal who He is and what His kingdom looks like. He also used to teach us about our responsibility and our life.
The central message of the author in this
book provides Jesus's teachings, styles and their meaning. This book is well
known for its content and categorisation: division of content, psychological
depth and various uses of the Bible version, while it has some limitations for
today's reader and for their academic discourse
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