The parables have a long and storied history in the history of the Church. Some of this history is positive and some of it. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, He often used parables to point to greater eternal realities. We live in a culture today that is consumed with stories from television to movies and novels. Yet, in the parables Jesus taught profound truths about God, humanity, the world, and the future. Many people today also view the parables as only moralistic fables. In his new book The Story Telling God: Seeing The Glory of Jesus In His Parables Jared C. Wilson writes to help readers understand how each parable under consideration is designed to drive people to Jesus in awe, need, faith, and worship.
The book opens with a consideration of what a parable is and then moves to look at the pearl of great price, the parable of the talents, the prodigal son, the good Samaritan and Jesus as the point of the parables. As Jared opens up and explains the parables, he does so with biblical fidelity and pastoral care. As noted in the introduction to this review, the parables are often taught in a way where the point of the parable is missed entirely. Thankfully the author doesn’t do this but instead sticks to the point of the passage and keeps the purpose of the parable in in view.
While other books on the parables such as Interpreting the Parables by Craig Blomberg are more academic in nature, The Story Telling God provides lay readers with an accessible and enjoyable treatment that will help them understand the parables better. Throughout the book, Jared uses humor, pastoral care and wisdom to grab our attention and to fix our gaze on the person and finished work of Jesus. This book would be used well in conjunction with other such books on the parables such as when a pastor is preaches through the parables or for personal study, Sunday school or in small groups. Whether this book is used for ministry or personal purposes, The Story Telling God is a very good book that will help God’s people to understand the parables afresh.
Title: The Story Telling God Seeing The Glory of Jesus in the Parables
Authors: Jared C. Wilson
Publisher: Crossway (2014)
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
