Unveiling Jesus's Parable Themes: Insights for Life and Faith

1. Jesus’s Teaching

2. Written response errors • Preform vs. PERform • Gods vs. God’s • Capitalization in sentences • Pronoun antecedents (who are he & they?)

3. Parables • A short, allegorical story • Placing 2 things side by side • Every element stands in for something else • Ordinary, everyday life used to illustrate the Kingdom of God • How to explain something so different? • Jesus as creative & understandable

4. Parable Themes • Six major themes from the parables • Many others, your book highlights six • God’s Kingdom is for All • Strength of the Kingdom(the Mustard Seed) • Must be open to it (Sower)

5. Themes, cont’d • Sinners are Welcome • Luke’s Gospel • Concern for the lost (the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, the Lost Son) • Search until it is found • Forgiveness of sins • Deep, abiding love that cannot be lost • Grace

6. Themes, cont’d • Salvation • A new day has come: a New Covenant • New wine needs new wineskins • A wedding feast where the groom is now present • Belief & Repentance • Believe in the Gospel & stop living selfishly • Hearing God‘s Will = Doing God’s Will

7. Themes, cont’d • Preparation for Judgment • Kingdom is for the least, the humble & the poor • Separation of the good from the bad • Heaven = eternal communion • Hell = eternal separation • Entering God’s Kingdom means faith, which means love, which means action • Rejoice in the Good News

8. Sermon on the Mount • Matthew’s Gospel: up on a mountainside • Images of Sinai • Central foundation of Christian understanding

9. The Beatitudes • 8 statements of morality for happiness • “Blessed are the poor in spirit” - humility • “Blessed are they who mourn” – mourn sin • “Blessed are the meek” – gentleness • “Blessed are they who hunger & thirst” – God’s justice • “Blessed are the merciful” – Forgiveness • “Blessed are the clean of heart” – total commitment to God • “Blessed are the peacemakers” – Loving & peaceful • “Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness”

10. Christian living in the Sermon • Salt of the Earth & Light of the World • Make a difference in the world • Salt flavors food, disciples must improve the world for the better • Light gets rid of darkness • Love triumphs over sin • Lead others to God by being good

11. New Standard of Law • Old Law is preparation for Jesus • Jesus fulfills the need for the Law • New Law is the New Covenant of Jeremiah • Written in hearts, not stone • External obedience is not enough • Change the heart

12. Commandment of Love • “The greatest commandment” is a different story • Love the enemy & do not seek revenge • Forgive trespasses • Break the cycle of violence • All people are our brothers & sisters • “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48) • Impossible for humans alone

13. More Teachings • Have a Right Attitude • Do the right thing for the right reasons • Winning glory and honor for yourself are not the right reasons • Don’t call attention to doing the right thing • Other requirements • Don’t put yourself above others; the “Golden Rule”; trust in God alone • World will not change until we do

14. Seven Heavenly Virtues • Two lists of Seven Virtues • Canonical Virtues vs. Popular list • Popular list more varied • Many connected to the Beatitudes • Opposite the Seven Deadly Sins

15. Seven Deadly Sins • Seven root causes of sin • Not distinct sins themselves, but the thought behind them • Pride as the worst • Most subtle & hardest to resist