Parables
The parables of Jesus are treasure houses of wisdom masterfully woven in story form. They are deep, theological, practical, sometimes confusing, but always worth the effort needed to unlock their mysteries.
Basically, a parable is a short story with a moral lesson. Jesus' parables teach a series of moral concepts using the culture of the times. Though the parables have much to offer to us in the present day via a casual reading, they have even more to offer when we understand the culture of the time and examine them in that light. For instance, in the story of the Prodigal son, when the son asked for his father's inheritance, that was equivalent to saying he didn't care if his father lived or died. He just wanted his money. Why? Because a son never ever asked for an inheritance until after the death of his parent. To do so prematurely was to imply he wished his parent's death!
There are many such cultural gems waiting for us to discover. When laid in the......
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Approximate Word Count: 11782
Approximate Pages: 46 (260 words per double-spaced page) |