My next book is a labor of love. I have been working on for seven years and it's time to let you know. It's about a subject near and dear to my heart – the parables of Jesus.
The parables of Jesus are the world's most popular stories. Millions of people know them. Each week, the parables are taught from pulpits and in Sunday School classes all over the world.
The parables reveal the way to life, yet they are often hijacked to preach dead works and self-righteousness. Apparently the parable of the Good Samaritan is about being kind to others, and the parable of the Shrewd Manager is about giving to the poor.
There is nothing wrong with being kind and generous, but Jesus did not come to repeat religious clichés.
Some use the parables to portray God as angry and uncaring. Apparently he's asleep (the Friend at Midnight), he's mean and corruptible (the Unjust Judge), and he murders people (the parable of the Wedding Banquet).
Nope.
Jesus was not another old covenant preacher frightening people with a scary God. He was the herald of the new covenant which is why his stories were full of surprises and reversals. They were new. They were different.
They were unlike anything we'd heard before.
Through his stories Jesus described a right-side up kingdom where prodigals are received, tax collectors are justified, and outcasts are invited to feasts. It's a kingdom of justice and peace, of heaven on earth.
The disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. Why not speak plainly? But plain speaking often led to hostility from religious leaders and skeptical crowds. Since some weren't ready to receive the gospel, he told stories "to create readiness, to nudge people toward receptive insight" (Matt. 13:13, MSG).
The stories of Jesus disarm us. They resonate with our spirits and awaken our hunger for the things of God.
But only if they are told right. Which they usually aren't. To twist the stories of Jesus into an anti-grace message is surely one of the greatest harms ever inflicted.
I have read many books and heard countless sermons on the parables of Jesus and found few that interpret these stories through the lens of the new covenant. Most preach dead works or mixture. "Get busy for Jesus." "Prove your faithfulness through endless praying." "Turn or burn."
Yecch.
We need to take another look at the parables of Jesus. We need to read them through the lens of grace.
For the past seven years I have been working off-and-on on a grace-based book tentatively titled The Parables of Jesus. It is one of the biggest projects I have undertaken.
When I started I had no idea how big it would grow, but the more I dig into these treasures, the more I found.
The parables of Jesus are truly the richest and most powerful stories ever told. Read them right and they will change you. They will help you experience the divine life that is ours in Christ.
It has been a long time coming, but I'm approaching the home stretch. If all goes to plan, my new book should be available by the middle of next year. I trust it will be worth the wait.
Can't wait? Check out these sample chapters on Patreon.
Four chapters are available now, with more being released each month.
I have also put some chapters on E2R's Supporters' page (for monthly supporters on Donorbox).
If the parables of Jesus leave you scratching your head – What did Jesus mean by that?! – this is the book you've been waiting for.
Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment