As Dodd says, they “arrest the hearer.” They present us with something familiar, something we can understand. The common images and characters draw us in and engage us. Instead the kingdom is like “a merchant in search of fine pearls” or “a man with two sons.” Parables function through concrete images and vivid scenes which can easily be imagined: a sower sowing seed, a woman who loses a coin, a king who holds a wedding banquet for his son. They are, as Dodd states, “drawn from nature or common life.” Therefore, the kingdom is not said to be like grace, prayer, or salvation. The realities which parables juxtapose to the kingdom, however, are neither theoretical nor spiritual. One of these realities is God’s kingdom, for parables strive to give us a glimpse of God’s activity in our midst. Since a parable is a metaphor, it produces meaning by pulling together two separate realities and asserting a connection between them. Dodd in 1935: “A parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness, and leaving the mind is sufficient doubt about its precise application to tease it into active thought.” Most of what we need to know about parables is contained in this one sentence. What is a parable? How does a parable work? Why is its approach effective? We begin with a definition given by C. In parables we can understand why people from every state of life were drawn to listen to Jesus and became convinced that he was a teacher sent from God. One cannot study the parables without appreciating more deeply the power and creativity of Jesus’ ministry. Scattered throughout the gospels, these succinct images capture the essence of Jesus’ message and convey the particular style of his teaching. More so than any other form, they provide us with a glimpse of the kingdom of God. They resonate with vibrations which are both practical and unsettling. Parables stick in our minds and grow in our hearts. But it would be difficult to find a form more important and influential than that of the parable. One can identify hymns and commands, beatitudes and miracle stories, commissions and revelations. There are many forms of writing within the New Testament. Introduction: The How and Why of Parables
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