Introduction Of all the words and teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, none so accurately reflect his distinctive expression as do the more than forty parables that the evangelists attribute to him. Indeed, for theologians as much as for Christians in general, no other passages seem to so perfectly capture distinctive voice and genius of Jesus as do the parables. This being said, however, it must be acknowledged that there is considerable controversy over …showed first 75 words of 2630 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2630 total…our daily lives. The blurring of the distinction between teaching and poetry in the parables of Jesus demonstrates that - although they were often designed to meet the questions and tricks of the Jewish authorities - they were nonetheless intended to be relevant far beyond their original context. In this analysis, the reality of the parables - and the challenges they pose for Christians - is as "real" today as they were in Christ's age.