Such attention to the story allows the parables to become genuinely subversive. “Perhaps,” Bodner notes, “we’re all ...

The importance of the parables can hardly be overestimated. They comprise a substantial part of the recorded preaching of Jesus. The parables are generally regarded by scholars as among the sayings ...

My father loved parables — stories that taught, stories that presented ideas and morals in ways that made pictures in people's minds. … Because he believed stories were so important as teaching tools.

Bearing out what Jesus said, here is a bird perching on a mustard plant that has grown to a great size from a tiny seed, symbolizing the value of faith. (Courtesy Photo) Jesus told the Parables of the ...